The One-Man Squadron
by Business Dog
Summary: The boy Nyter finds himself attending Beacon during the same time as Ruby Rose, pleasantly acquainting himself with her and the others. Although he may have free reign, he owes Ozpin a huge debt, which will be repaid by attending the academy as his personal student. This story is an AU with one new important character implemented, changing specific plot points.
1. Chapter 1

Introduction and Preface:

My story will follow the same characters and the same general plot points as the original RWBY story. The one major change is an addition of my character, Nyter. He will play a crucial part in this new story of mine, perhaps even changing the most major of plot points as I see fit. I would like to stress that this isn't a retelling of the original RWBY story, but rather an alternate universe where Nyter exists and makes a change in the environment. There may or may not be erratas, based on whether or not I make mistakes that I don't catch in the proofread. I do have several other people proofreading with me, so if there is in fact a part of the story that just doesn't make sense, I'll look back on it and edit to make it more understandable or more in sync with what's happening. Without further introduction, here is my story: The One-Man Team.

Note: Since this fanfiction will include copious amounts of dialogue, typically from 3 or more people at one time, I will completely omit quotation indicators. I will still have quotation marks to indicate someone is speaking, but I will not include indicators such as "Nyter said" or "Replied Ruby". Instead, I will simply color code my speakers. For those who are colorblind, or reading on Fanfiction (which does not support colored text for stories/chapters), I will bracket the first letter(s) of who is speaking. For instance, Nyter's dialogue will be as follows: [N] "Hello." For characters with the same first letters, I will include a legend below before the chapter begins to use as reference. I apologize for the inconvenience for those of you reading on Fanfiction, but there is sadly no way to color my text when uploading/writing stories. For this reason, I will link my Google Doc either at the beginning/end of the chapter or via some other outlet, like to read the story in color, which is the original way I intended it to be. Hopefully will not remove my link, but if it does happen, I'll personally email you the link if you so wish me to.

 **Google Docs URL: I've made it easier to access the Google Doc since it's very hard to input all the text perfectly in the long URL while being unable to simply copy text from the reader. I put the doc in a tinyurl domain, so to access it easier, just go to tinyurl and type this after the slash:** **nyterngr**

If you have any problems, feel free to message me and I'll give you the link in that way.

Legend: [N] = Nyter; [G] = Galer; [R] = Rodger; [Ru] = Ruby; [Y] = Yang; [Gl] = Glynda; [J] = Jaune; [B] = Blake; [W] = Weiss; [O] = Ozpin

* * *

Chapter One

You always manage to sleep everywhere. How do you do it?

 **Nyter suddenly awoke from his not-so-graceful slumber. He looked at his watch and exhaled a sigh of relief. Only ten minutes this time. At least that was better than two hours during the lecture ceremony. Looking out the window, Nyter realized the ship had already taken off.**

[N] How the hell did I sleep through the takeoff?

[R] I wish I knew. You have an exquisite napping ability. And you call yourself a light sleeper. You're lucky you have us.

[N] And you're lucky you don't ever get tired. I've gotta make up for the lack of sleep somehow.

 **Surveying the area, Nyter took note of everyone in the ship with him. He has a particular way of categorizing people, usually consisting of calling people by their hair or aura color. There were quite a few people on the ship, each consisting of varying colors and appearance, all going to the same destination. The ship itself was fairly large, with the particular area where Nyter resides consisting of an elongated hallway. The large windows decorated along the sides of the ship gave sight to a wondrous outlook, overseeing the clouds and the towering buildings below. Nyter enjoyed the color scheme of the floor and walls, adopting a blue-gray scale.**

[N] Let's see… We've got Red, Slightly Darker Red, Long Blondie, Short Blondie, Black, White, Purple… Too many to keep track.

 **One student, clad in yellow and white garb with long blonde hair, is seen embracing a student of smaller stature, clearly expressing content and excitement. The smaller student is seen as exasperated by this embrace. She is wearing a cinched red blouse, amid black color compliments ending in a skirt. Her hair is shoulder-length, with jet black roots ending in a cascade of crimson tips.**

[R] What's up with the blonde chick? She's literally smothering the red girl. What's got her so excited?

[N] I dunno, siblings can get pretty wild when they go to school together I guess.

[R] That's her sister? Well, she's fairly… Endowed. They don't even look alike. Not even to the point of half-sisters. Either way, they're both pretty cute. I like the one in red.

[N] Rodger, put your weakness for women aside just for a few hours please. We have quite the flight ahead of us.

[N] ...Actually, come to think of it, the red one is pretty cute. How old am I again?

[R] Well, _I'm_ 18\. Should be, anyways. How old is Spinach? Like, 30?

[G] I told you to stop calling me that. We're not 12 anymore. I'm 24. Since Nyter's younger than the both of us, I'm gauging he's at least 16, if not 17. He's not much younger than you, Rodger.

[R] I'll take that as a statement on my immaturity and I'll raise you a greater comeback soon enough.

[N]Ah, so you finally speak! What took so long to grab your attention?

[G] I'm actually paying attention to my surroundings, effectively doing what you both should also be doing.

[N] Galer, we're in a safe place. There's no reason to over analyze this, we're here with a bunch of would-be hunters. Lighten up.

[G] You should learn to keep your guard up, even in the most auspicious of circumstances. I learned that the hard way. I'm trying to prevent the same fate from happening to you.

[N] I could handle myself. You were one guy. I'm three. Even if something were to catch me off guard, we can all handle it. Besides, fate means nothing. I can change my fate on a whim.

[G] We both have our ways to pass the time, Nyter. Don't criticize me for that. As for your statement on changing fate, your own ignorance can mean your death. Pride is the downfall of man.

[N] Fair enough. I do have a question, though. How do you manage to hide your thoughts from us for so long without slipping?

[G] I'm not hiding them. I simply think in ideas and images, rather than words. It's primitive, but it allows me to concentrate and gives me privacy from you two.

[R] Privacy? We're the sa-

[N] Let him do his thing. We couldn't understand him if we tried. So, Galer, what have you learned through this spying method of yours?

[G] It's not spying. It's observing and listening. The one in the white armor is named Jaune, supposedly here alone, no friends. Similar to most. Though I can tell he's new to this level of responsibility, and not just because he's throwing up in a trash can. I cannot sense any aura coming from him. I'm astounded he got into Beacon without unlocking his aura. Perhaps he just knows how to hide it. There's a woman hailing a spear and shield with dark red hair, who has the aesthetic of a greek warrior. Not much information on her, as she's appears to be reserved, only speaking when spoken to. There's a man with a pink streak in his hair, and I can feel a very controlled amount of aura emanating from him. The girl he's with in the pink dress seems keen on him, as she repeatedly continues to catch his attention. Red girl, which you two are so keen on, is named Ruby. Her sister is in fact the blonde one, Yang. I too am unsure whether or not they're true siblings, but that's a minor detail that doesn't really matter. Apparently Red was advanced by two whole years, so she has be younger than even you, Nyter.

[N] Damn. At least I have a better shot than Rodger, in that case.

[R] Hey, age is just a number.

[N] And prison is just a sentence.

[R] Touché.

[N] Heads up, looks like we've got an announcement.

 **The projection screen near the tip of the ship switches to an image of Roman Torchwick, a man with orange hair and distinct facial features, wearing what appears to be a white overcoat. The speaker explains that Roman once again eludes authorities and must be captured. He urges those watching to give information about Roman's whereabouts. This quickly transitions into a newswoman explaining the damage that the White Fang has done to the local protest by the faunus.**

[G] That damned Torchwick. I swear, if I could walk, I would be spending my time tracking him down rather than going to Beacon with you two. But sadly, I have no choice.

[R] Galer, you could make it at least a little bit less obvious that you were a detective.

[G] I was devoted to the force. I spent every waking moment tracking a case and putting together clues with evidence. If I wasn't captured, I would be happily avoiding sleep and working on the next case.

[R] Oh please, you were only given a few good cases. The rest of your work was stuff that even Nyter could do.

[N]...Thanks?

[G]Those "few good cases" defined me as a detective. Those "few good cases" are what allowed me to be gifted my rifle. Those "few good cases" were done by me, and me only. Those "few good cases" took me months to complete.

[R] I gotta admit, that rifle is pretty bad ass. Your pistol's pretty sweet, too. It's no wonder those two weapons were what attached to your aura. I much prefer my bow, though. A lot more silent, and a lot less deadly.

[G] It's not like I carried those weapons to kill. They were made for me to only use during dire circumstances. Thankfully I never did have to kill anyone with them. Unlike you.

[R] Whoa whoa whoa, I never killed humans. Just animals. I was a hunter, not a murderer.

[G] Your secondary weapon was quite lethal, if I recall correctly.

[R] Well, that was my only line of self-defence in close range.. A bow is no good if someone were to attack me head on. You just jealous that I have a beautiful hand-crafted masterpiece?

[N] Listening to you two having a conversation is a lot more entertaining than any TV show I could ever hope to watch.

[R] I'm glad to be here as your source of entertainment, with guest-star Spinach!

[G] I'm going to ignore you now.

[N] Enough. There's another announcement by Glynda.

 **The projection screen turns to an image of Glynda Goodwitch, a Huntress with exquisitely fine features and flowing light-blonde hair. Her purple cape is tattered with wear, yet her black and white attire seems untouched by such apparent wear.**

[Gl]"Hello, and welcome to Beacon. My name is Glynda Goodwitch. You are among a privileged few who have received the honor of being selected to attend this prestigious academy! Our world is experiencing an incredible time of peace, and as future Huntsmen and Huntresses, it is your duty to uphold it. You have demonstrated the courage needed for such a task, and now it is our turn to provide you with the knowledge and the training to protect our world."

[N] Well that was interesting. It seems like we're actually heroes. How about I go talk to… What's her name?

[G] Ruby.

[N] Right. Wish me luck boys.

[R] I hate you.

[G] Stay classy, Nyter.

 **Nyter casually approaches Ruby, who is seen glued to the side window, looking out at the grandeur view. He begins to move a finger to lightly tap on her shoulder, but gets distracted by her hair gently flowing with her movements. She notices his reflection in the glass, which prompts her to immediately remove herself from the outlook and attend Nyter's glance. Nyter snaps out of it, and removes his hand from the air, trying to play it off by pointing outside.**

[N] "Hey there. You seem fairly excited, sticking to the glass like that."

[Ru] "Yeah! Aren't you? We're about to be going into the most prestigious academy in Vale! How can you not be excited?! Um… Sorry, I get a little ahead of myself sometimes. What's your name? I'm-"

[N] "Ruby, I presume? My name is Nyter. I couldn't but help notice you and Blondie talking about attending the academy as sisters. You two don't look anything alike. Why is that?"

[Ru] "Oh... Well, we have two different moms. I guess we do look pretty different huh?"

[N] "Quite different, in fact. I could hardly believe you two were related. In any case, I'm glad we got acquainted. It's always useful to try and make friends on your first day."

[Ru] "Ya know, your name is pretty weird. Never heard of that before."

[N] "I named myself Nyter, it's a long story. You know, I really like your hair. Is that red tinge natural?"

[Ru] "Yeah, it just grew like that. Thanks for the compliment, I like your hair too! It matches my eyes."

[N] "That it does, I've never seen silver eyes before. Quite mesmerizing."

[Ru] "And your eyes are golden… I really like that."

[R] Damn, Nyter. You're going in. Get her number for me, will you?

[N] This is purely for information's sake. She has silver eyes. Doesn't that mean something? I feel like I should know what that means. Chalk it up to my memory loss. Those eyes are definitely not ordinary.

[N] "Say, Ruby. How old are you? You don't look as old as your sister."

[Ru] "I'm, uh, 17! Just turned 17 a few months ago, haha…"

[N] "But didn't you skip ahead two years? That would mean you're 15, correct?"

[Ru] "...How did you know that? Okay, I'm 15. I just didn't want to draw attention or make people think I'm special. I wanted to fit in and have normal knees."

[N] "Normal knees?"

[Ru] "Oh, sorry… Just an inside joke."

[N] "There's nothing wrong with being special. In fact, being normal is pretty boring. Being special means you stick out, and you'll meet great new people that way. It's better to embrace how special you are, rather than hide it to try and fit in. I think it's pretty cool that you advanced two whole years. That must mean you're pretty skilled right?"

[Ru] "Well, I guess you're right.. I'm just glad to be here in the first place. In any case, my name is Ruby Rose, and it's nice to meet you, Nyter!"

 **Ruby extends her hand for Nyter, which he firmly takes and gives a satisfactory shake.**

[Y] "Wow, Ruby. I thought I'd give you at least a week before you started flirting with someone."

[Ru] "I'm not flirting, Yang! I'm just making a friend. I didn't get to come here with all my friends, like you."

[Y] "Whatever you say, Ruby. What's your name, guy? Taking a liking to my sister?"

[N] "My name is Nyter, pleased to meet you. She seemed so intrigued looking outside the glass and I couldn't help myself, I suppose."

[Y] "Well the name's Yang, nice to meetcha! Looks like we're about to land. Better get ready."

[N] This Ruby girl is interesting. What's up with her eyes? I can't shake them. I feel like I should know. Why does this happen to me? This stupid memory loss frustrates me.

[R] Maybe if you talk to her enough, she'll tell you about her eyes? Get her number and I guarantee she'll talk to you day and night. You inherited my good looks and Galer's inquisitiveness.

[G] We'll just have to see what happens. We will all have plenty of time to get acquainted in the following years. Take it slow. You know that your pushiness tends to turn people away, Nyter.

[N] I'm not pushy. I just like to ask questions. I blame you for that. As for you, Rodger, I'm not going to ask for her number. As Galer said, I'm going to try and take it slow. Grabbing her number after 2 minutes of talking is taking it from zero to one hundred.

[R] Sigh. I guess not everyone has the amount of charm as me.

[G] You are so full of yourself. Please get a grip on reality.

[N] Children, the both of you. Hush. Get ready to keep on watch. Playtime is over, we've gotta keep a lookout.

 **The ship lands fairly gracefully, though Jaune loses his balance and falls, bringing someone else down with him. As soon as the ship lands, Jaune exits and travels to the nearest trashcan to expel more vomit. Everyone else walks across the platform, taking in their new surroundings. The scenery is astounding, as Beacon is a very large institution, larger than some students have ever seen, with towering spires and grand arches. The entirety of the institution is very victorian castle-esque in appearance, with a moat park appearing in front of the building. Ruby is seen staring in awe, with Nyter staring at Ruby, rather than the institution. She appears to also be admiring everyone's weapons, something that Nyter also enjoys doing from time to time.**

[R] You two are a match made in heaven, aren't you? You both love weapons, you're both awkward as hell, and you both have an older sibling looking out for you.

[G] I wouldn't call us siblings. We're nuisances, if anything.

[N] You're teammates. You help me out more than you realize.

[R] Can we materialize yet?

[G] Why would you even ask that? Of course we can't. You really want people knowing what Nyter is?

[N] Don't be so hard on him, Galer. He just wants to roam around. I can't imagine being stuck in a bodiless form, subject to only my thoughts and senses. You can materialize in an unoccupied space. It's far too busy right now.

[N] Alright. Just getting cramped in here is all.

 **At this point, Yang suddenly abandons Ruby in an effort to accompany her friends. The sheer force of Yang's movement is enough to send Ruby tumbling backwards, landing on a large pile of silver briefcases. A snow-haired woman expresses her anger towards Ruby, calling her a dutz and exuding an aura of pretentiousness that even Nyter couldn't stand.**

[N] "Excuse me little girl, I couldn't help but notice that my friend here accidentally fell into your large array of briefcases. We sincerely apologize to any damage presented to your precious dust."

[W] "And who are _you_ supposed to be? Are you supposed to make me feel better about this clutz damaging my personal belongings?"

[R] Oh boy. One of _those_ girls.

[N] "Listen, I'm sure she didn't mean any har-"

 **As soon as Nyter was about to finish, Ruby's nostrils become tickled by the presence of so much dust. Ruby ends up sneezing, causing a reaction in the dust akin to a small explosion. This explosion causes one of the bottles of dust to land at the feet of a medium-sized female, possibly another student.**

[W] "Absolutely unbelievable! I cannot believe this! This is exactly what I was talking about! You dolt!"

[Ru] "I'm sorry… I didn't mean to, it just-"

[W] "What are you even _doing_ here? Aren't you a little _young_ to be attending Beacon?"

[N] Who is this girl? She's making me frustrated.

[R] Oh dear.

[G] Let her have it.

[N] "Alright, listen here princess. If you can't already plainly see the apologetic look on my friend's face here, let me point it out for you. We're sorry. Accidents happen. What are _you_ doing here? Aren't you a little _prissy_ to be attending such a dangerous institution to train deadly hunters?"

[B] "It's heiress, actually. Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company. One of the largest producers of energy propellant in the world."

 **The speaker is a slightly taller female, wearing black and white, a combination of Nyter's favorite color. She boasts golden eyes, just like Nyter, and is in fact the only other person who shares that feature with him.**

[R] Another one? I'm going to have a heart attack from all these beautiful women around us.

[G] You don't have a heart.

[R] A man can dream.

[G] You can't dream.

[R] Why must you do this to me?

[G] Because you exist.

[N] Aren't you supposed to be like, 30? Stop picking on poor Rodger. In any case, I like this girl. Not Snowy, but the Golden Eyes.

[R] And you told _me_ to stop infatuating. Look at yourself. At least pick one.

[W] "Finally! It's about time for some recognition!"

[B] "The same company infamous for its controversial labor forces and questionable business partners."

[R] Oh my.

[G] Damn. Didn't expect that.

[N] I need this girl. That level of sass is enough to rival my own.

 **It's at this point that Weiss decides to walk away in anger and frustration, throwing her hands in the air. Meanwhile, Ruby lets out a small giggle.**

[N] Did you guys hear that giggle? That was probably the cutest thing I've ever heard.

[R] Stop with the obsession of that girl already. At least _give her your number._

[N] Nah. I'm just intrigued by those eyes. You know how I get when I'm searching for an answer. Damn you, Galer.

[G] Hey, don't blame me for that. Besides, whenever I get hit with a barrier, I stop at nothing to uncover the answer. You're doing the right thing by waiting it out. You don't want to creep her out by asking a multitude of questions right after you meet with her. Wait until you're properly acquainted.

[N] I guess. We'll become acquainted soon enough. Let's try to make some more friends, shall we?

[G] Why are you so eager to make friends already?

[N] Information is key, Galer. You of all people should know that.

[G] So is patience. If you don't take it slow, your rushed attitude towards making friends can backfire. Not everyone is just willing to be buddy-buddy with you. Calm your eagerness.

[N] I suppose you're right. Perhaps I'll just observe everyone for now and learn their personality traits.

[G] And you said _I_ was spying.

[N] It's not spying, it's observing and listening.

[G] Agreed.

 **Nyter notices Ruby collapse to ground, muttering to herself,** "Welcome to Beacon…" **At this point, Jaune appears and helps her off the ground, introducing himself.**

[N] Damn it. He stole my spotlight.

[R] Well, you did want to observe, so go ahead. Observe the two, but keep behind them.

[N] You sound awfully acquainted with following people without their consent.

[R] I had a lot of girls running me over back in the day. I had to figure out how to get rid of them.

[G] Can you actually get any less full of yourself?

[N] Well, before this escalates, I'll stick with following those two for now.

 **Jaune and Ruby walk alongside the fountain, with Nyter in tow. Jaune is attempting to justify his motion sickness to Ruby, and she simply laughs it off. Jaune's build is quite tall, standing a little taller than six foot with pure white armor, including a breastplate and bracers. His hair is a little shorter than Ruby's, and around the same length as Nyter.**

[J] "Well the name's Jaune Arc. Short, sweet, rolls off the tongue. The ladies love it."

[N] Come on. He's obviously flirting with her.

[Ru] "Do they?" **Ruby stated in a mocking tone.**

[N] Damn!

[R] Savage.

[J] "They will! Trust me. Well, I hope they will. My mom always said- Eh, nevermind…"

 **Ruby lets out a small exasperated giggle.**

[Ru] "Um… Soo, I got this thing."

 **Ruby suddenly unsheathes her weapon from the magnet on her back, transforming a seemingly uninteresting device into a deadly and precise scythe, not to mention the magnitude of its size. Jaune winces at the sight of it, carefully managing to back away from where her scythe penetrated the solid concrete.**

[J] "I-is that a scythe?!"

[Ru] "It's also a customizable, high-impact sniper rifle."

[N] Is this girl a legend? Are you kidding me? A _scythe?_ She can't just be any ordinary fifteen-year-old. Are you _sure_ I'm 17? Let's just say I'm 16.

[R] My boy.

[G] While it's cute that you're fawning over this girl, don't forget about your meeting with Ozpin.

[N] Hmm… Ozpin, or Ruby? Sigh. You'll have to wait another day, Ruby.

 **As soon as Nyter begins to walk away, he hears Ruby say** "Of course! All students at Signal forge their own weapons."

[N] She… She _made_ that…?

[R] Is this what love feels like?

[G] Okay, she got me. That's pretty impressive. In any case, Ozpin is more important right now.

[N] Right… Where is he? He never told me how to get into his office.

[R] I'd say just walk into that huge building and ask someone.

[N] How insightful.

 **Nyter begins to travel towards the academy entrance, and takes in the grandeur sight. Large tables, assorted numbers of chandeliers, and well-placed tapestries decorated the ceiling, while the floor was mirror-polished and marbled. Nyter approaches an academy supervisor and asks for directions towards Ozpin's office, and he is transported to the elevator. He boards the elevator and presses the number he was instructed. After a seemingly endless amount of time in the elevator, the door opens to a vast oculus room, decorated with enormous cog wheels and clocks. The incessant ticking drills into to Nyter's skull, making him extremely uncomfortable.**

[N] Is it normal to feel this weird? I don't feel safe here for some reason.

[R] I, too, feel uneasy. It's as if we're not meant to be here.

[G] I would say it's just your nerves, but I feel it too. Since we don't have nerves, it's probably some sort of static aura effect.

 **The large table in the front of the oculus overlooking the window is acquainted with a large, rather comfortable looking chair. Upon entrance of Nyter, the chair is spun around, revealing Ozpin in the cockpit.**

[N] Could he be any less flashy? I know I love my showmanship, but that was too cliché.

[O] "Hello, Nyter. Wonderful to see you've made it."

[N] "Are we alone?"

[O] "As promised. I am a man of my word. Now, are you a man of yours?"

[N] This is going to be the first person I actually show my power to.

[G] It seems we have no choice. You made a deal.

[R] What's the worst that could happen?

[N] "Alright Ozpin, but just know that you're going to be the only person who has seen this thus far."

[O] "It would be best that we keep it that way."

[N] "I agree. Let's hope I don't disappoint."

 **Nyter instructs that Ozpin cease all lights in the room. Ozpin abides and turns off all artificial light sources, and bringing a large curtain across the window. The curtain doesn't block all light, but it's enough to have to squint in order to see.**

[N] Alright. You guys ready?

[R] Ready as I'll ever be. I've been waiting for this.

[G] I'm ready.

[N] Here goes nothing. It's been a while.


	2. Chapter 2

I highly implore new readers to make sure they're familiar with the preface stated in Chapter 1. That being said, here is the Google Doc link: Make sure you're on tinyurl, then type this after the slash: **nyterngr2**

Legend: [?] = ?; [N] = Nyter; [G] = Galer; [R] = Rodger; [Ru] = Ruby; [Y] = Yang; [Gl] = Glynda; [J] = Jaune; [B] = Blake; [W] = Weiss; [O] = Ozpin

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Chapter Two

 **A small child stirs in the darkness. Two senses this time… Smell, and touch. He can smell… water. He feels his surroundings, only managing to make out the cold touch of wet concrete. No, three senses… The child can hear. He clings to the wall, attempting to stand on his feet.**

[?] "If only you knew how powerful you will become, boy."

 **The child feels himself collapsing on the ground but instinctively catches himself with all fours.**

[?] "So you can already catch yourself without even the use of sight? You're progressing faster than I thought you would."

 **His voice was deep, unconcerning. There was a hint of raspiness, akin to an elderly man, but not frail. It was powerful, in fact.**

[?] "Well? Are you going to get up?"

 **As careful as possible, the small boy stands up from his position. Even though the boy can only see darkness, he moves his head from left to right, as if he could see something.**

[?] "Hearing _and_ eyesight already? My, my. You're going to be my prized trophy, boy. Well? Say something. You have vocal chords, don't you?"

 **The child hears this command, and opens his mouth, only to close it again and clench his fists.**

[?] "No speech yet? Damn. We were getting so far."

 **Fists still clenched, the boy can feel the man's eyeballs piercing him like daggers, even through this pitch black darkness.**

[?] "I'll be back soon enough, boy. Keep growing. Do not disappoint me."

 **A door is heard is heard closing, heavy and metal. Alone in the absolute darkness, the boy sat.**

[?] Alone. Darkness. I am alone in the dark. I don't like the dark. It's scary. I want to talk, but I can't. I want to see, but I can't. Who am I…

 **The boy is lost in his own thoughts. The time passing is irrelevant to the boy, he is simply waiting for the next time that door opens. Usually, only food is placed into his room, which he must find himself now that he can feel and hear. It doesn't take him too long since the room isn't very large at all. From days and days of feeling the floor and walls, the boy has mentally mapped out the room to be a perfect cube, only around 10 feet in perimeter. This food is tasteless, as that is the only other sense other than sight that the boy is missing. Months pass- or was it years? Without proper senses, it's impossible to accurately differentiate how much time has passed. The boy tries to speak and manages an audible squeak.**

[N] I did it! I just have to try more… I can make noises, so I can definitely talk!

 **After several minutes of attempting to speak words, the boy is finally able to make out a phrase:**

[N] "I c-can dooo it."

 **The voice is extremely dry and whispered, yet audible. The exasperated speech has left the boy with a sense of wonder. More time passes by, and the longer time passes, the easier it is for the boy to practice his speech. The boy talks to himself every time he regains the energy to speak again, but can only last a few seconds before his diaphragm collapses over and over. However, progress is made, and the boy notices that the more he talks to himself, the more frequent he finds food in his room. This entices the boy to talk more, and in turn, he receives more food and energy to speak in longer sentences and phrases. Eventually, after some time of failure and successes, the boy's voice is nearly completely functional. It is rather soft, faintly in-between tenor and high bass. The boy sleeps for a while, happy with the results of his vocal training. After some time asleep, he is violently awoken by the opening of the large metal door in his room.**

[?]"I am back, boy. Let's see how far you've come, now."

 **The boy stood up straight in his position and opened his eyes, even though he knew it wouldn't make a difference. He could feel his legs were longer than before, and the height difference it took him to stand against the wall was evident that possibly years have passed. The darkness that the child knew for so long was no longer there, however. He was able to make out another color: Orange. Dark orange. He could also make out a gray background… Looking around, the boy sees four walls, and above him is a blinding light.**

[N] I've only seen darkness… And now I see white, gray, orange…

[?] "Come now, tell me something. Are your senses completely returned? Can you speak?"

[N] "Yes."

[?] "Ohoho! You have made me a very happy man, boy."

[N] "Why am I here? How much time has it been?"

[?] "You'll get answers once you _give_ answers. Can you see?"

[N] "Shapes and colors, nothing distinct."

[?] "This is good. This is very good. You have made me happy, and so I will reward you. You deserve this, boy. Do not, however, take my kindness for granted."

 **The boy is able to make out the orange shape leaving, yet the door is left open. Seconds later, the orange shape enters with a larger black shape. It creaks and squeals as it enters the room, indicating it's very old and composed of metal.**

[?] "Sit down in here. There's a nice comfy chair."

 **The seat is very cold as the boy sits on it, and not comfortable at all, contrary to the man's statement. He feels his legs and arms being strapped, which instinctively causes him to fight back.**

[?] "I told you not to take my kindness for granted! This is a present to you, and you will accept it. Do you want to starve again? I won't feed you for nine days if you keep this up."

 **Reluctantly, the boy sits upright in the chair and ceases struggling. A device is strapped to his head, fastened similarly to a helmet. The man is heard pressing various buttons and pulling levers, seeming to grunt with a few of them.**

[?] "Now, this may hurt, but it will be nothing compared to what you've already faced. You'll be thanking me for this, boy."

 **One final lever is pulled, and the boy screams in immense agony, continuing to hysterically yell. The pain is nothing he has ever felt before as if two-thousand needles were inserted into his skull at once. The pain ceases after a few seconds. Tears are falling down the boy's face, along with drool, mucus, sweat, and blood. After a minute or two, the boy's mind is faced with an extreme influx of information. Every nerve is firing at once, being supplemented by unnatural energy. This goes on for an inconclusive amount of time, prompting more screaming from the boy. The information given is knowledge of auras, people, historical figures, landmarks, the outside world, culture, geography, vocabulary, grammar, laws of physics and scientific formulas, creatures that reside outside, and much much more. After some time, the information ceases, providing a temporary sanctuary for the boy.**

[?] "What I have just done to you is given knowledge. Knowledge of the outside, of people who have changed history; knowledge of souls and auras, and the power they can provide. Science, history, math, all subjects normally taught to people for several years. But you've just learned all of it within a few seconds. That is my gift to you. Now, some of this information may fade, but most of it will stick. Hopefully, you don't forget everything when the time comes to leave. I'll let you stay here for a small while longer before I need you again."

 **The straps on the helmet are unfastened, with the legs and arms following after. The boy remains in the chair, looking down. He can see his legs, covered only by a tattered pair of pants, covering his thighs. He has no shirt, and can plainly see his malnourished abdomen and frail body. He slumps onto the cold, wet ground. The last thing heard is the machine exiting and the old man chuckling to himself.**

[N] I was in darkness for so long. I could not see anything. Now… now I see everything. Everything is very clear to me. I was alone, left to my own devices. My own tattered mind and soul. It was all so very black… yet there was a shimmer of hope. Like the moonlight illuminating a small patch of otherwise dark undergrowth. The night is a wondrous thing. It conceals, yet unveils. The wonderful night. What is my name? Do I have one? I'll make one. Night… Nighter. Yes, that's appropriate. Alternate spellings? Nighter, Nyter, Naiter… No, I'll choose Nyter. How long have I been here? Months? Years? Who's to know. I've been alone for a long while. It doesn't matter. Actually, now that I have my senses, I can feel something. A sixth sense? Or is this what's called aura? The manifestation of my soul… And some people can control it. Well, it's not enough to control it. I must bring my aura to my every whim. I have to leave here. I will not suffer another day.

 **Nyter retreats into his mind, forcing himself to view his aura. Nyter finds himself in darkness, though he can walk as though he were on solid ground. The darkness penetrates his psyche, providing an unwelcoming feeling.**

[N] I will dispel this darkness. You no longer have control over me, demon. You will fall.

 **Nyter holds out his hand to the darkness, attempting to force its submission. There is no success, however. Nyter's hand slumps back to his frail frame.**

[N] Of course. I cannot be of sound mind without a sound body. I will put my knowledge to good use.

 **Egressing from his mind, Nyter takes a moment to sink in his surroundings.**

[N] I am in a cell. Four walls, one large metal door. Ten feet by ten feet, with a large lamp overhead in the ceiling. Provides adequate light. This will do. There are no cameras. That is the old man's first mistake. I will wait for my next meal and then begin my training.

 **Several hours pass, with Nyter doing nothing but sitting in the center of the room, waiting for the food to come. The slit in the door opens, revealing a rather large meal, more plentiful than Nyter has ever been given. It still remains tasteless, however.**

[N] It appears the old man was pleased after all. That bastard. It's time to get to work.

 **Nyter scarfs his meal as if it were his last. He then thinks on the knowledge he learned about public health and exercise.**

[N] Assuming that my frail body can't even handle one push-up, what can I do, then, to build my strength? Hmm… I'll have to support myself with my legs first, and work my way up from there.

 **Nyter locks his legs together and crosses them. He then begins to do several pushups, yet collapses on the third.**

[N] Damn it. No time to stop. Have to keep going.

 **Continuing to exercise, Nyter does several sets of three, always collapsing on the third. This process lasts for several hours. A new meal comes by, just as plentiful as the last, and Nyter once again wolfs it down.**

[N] If he keeps feeding me like this, I'll have enough energy to keep strengthening my body. Hopefully, he doesn't come by soon. I need time.

 **Hour after hour, day after day, Nyter repeats this process. He notices slight muscle build, much better than his frail arms were before. However, he knows that there is a long way to go. Once again, Nyter completely loses track of time, training his body and mind for several days, weeks, perhaps even months. This methodical training puts an ease to Nyter's stress, as he finally has a way to pass the time, rather than laying in the cold corner, frail, helpless, and weak.**

[N] I will become stronger. Once I do, you're the first to go, old man.

 **Nyter notices he can now adequately do standard exercise regimes, capping out at around 30 full pushups, 100 sit ups. Nyter looks down at his body and feels content. He can no longer see his stomach sinking in. Rather, it is replaced by a very faint set of abdominal muscles. His forearms and biceps are also no longer thin and weak, looking to be about average for one his size.**

[N] I now look like an average human being. My body is sound, now my mind must be unclouded.

 **Sitting down in the center of the room, Nyter attempts to once again insert himself deep within his mind. He faces the familiar darkness anew, with refreshed vigor and stability. He raises a hand to quell the darkness, but nothing occurs. Rather, the darkness shifts. It radiates between an entire grayscale, finally stopping at just between gray and black.**

[N] I like this color. "Gray" is bland. I will instead call it dark silver. Yes, that pleases me.

 **At this moment, Nyter is struck with a deep power. This power is felt residing deep within, providing him with an enormous sense of comfort.**

[N] So this is what it feels to unlock my aura. Interesting. Shame it took so long. Time to see what I can do with this.

 **Exiting his mind, Nyter brings himself back to the real world. He looks at his hand and attempts to radiate his aura. A dark silver outline overlaps his hand.**

[N] Yes, progress. This is wonderful. What else can I do? What are the limitations to using my aura?

 **Nyter begins to think of a shape. A ten-centimeter by ten-centimeter cube, completely enclosed and opaque. Opening his eyes and looking at his hand, he can see a small cube, ten centimeters by ten centimeters exactly, colored with a dark silver lining.**

[N] Excellent. This is the power of aura. I will force that old man to rue his decision to give me information to such power.

 **Once more, the time passes as Nyter alternates between sleeping, meditating, creating shapes and objects with his aura, and eating.**

[N] Let's try something more difficult. A weapon. A dagger, in fact. A simple one.

 **Nyter looks down at his hand, yet sees no object.**

[N] It seems I must be more precise. Hmm… Dagger, composed of a hilt measuring three and a half inches, with a two-inch guard, six-inch blade, double edged, ending in a stiletto tip.

 **A dagger appears in his hand, to the exact specifications of his liking. Albeit, the dagger is completely hollow inside. He can feel the weight, and it's not as heavy as it should be. He twirls it around his fingers and attempts to create a small incision in his palm. Blood trickles down the blade, and Nyter lets out a sigh of relief.**

[N] I actually didn't expect it to be sharp. That is astounding. However, I'll need something bigger than a small dagger. I need just a little bit more time. Damn you, old man. How much time have you already given me? Is this my curse? No matter. I'll wait. I will prepare for your next visit. I do hope I don't disappoint you.

 **Being left to his own devices, Nyter has been finding himself the entire time. The more time passes, the more Nyter grows acclimated to his newfound power. He can create two objects, now. Three. Four. The days mold together, giving Nyter plenty of time to practice.**

[N] Okay. Let's try a sword now. Hilt… four inches. Guard is three inches. Blade, the most important part… short-sword, one handed, so let's go with twenty-seven inches. Doubled edged. Tapering down to a fine point.

 **Nyter implants an image of the sword in his mind. It is perfect to his exact specifications. He mentally reaches for it, grasping its grip with his left hand. Nyter pulls the sword from his mental image and opens his eyes. In his left hand is a blade, short-sword, which is completely enveloped in an opaque dark-silver outline. Again, however, it is hollow.**

[N] Damn it. Hollow again. I'm not sure how sturdy this will be. I don't have enough energy to fill the sword in… It's just a shell at this point. Perhaps instead of filling in the blanks, I can strengthen the outline.

 **Nyter pours the last of his energy into the outline of the sword, seemingly reinforcing it with a glowing aura. Standing up, Nyter strikes the concrete wall of the cell. The sword appears to crack but is still together.**

[N] Perhaps this will be enough. Now to try and remember knowledge of sword-play… Was that included in the transfer?

 **Attempting to scour his mind for reference of sword-play, Nyter finds exactly what he was looking for. Indeed, he has referential knowledge of how to use a sword, but it's useless without practice. Nyter takes what he can learn, and settles for a while.**

[N] This knowledge is practically useless without a target. However… I'll have one soon enough. Not even you could escape my wrath, rat. I will wait.

 **And so, Nyter sat. It did not take long for the locks on the door to be heard shifting.**

[N] Perfect timing, rat. Let's see how nimble you are in old age.

 **As the last lock was being unlatched, Nyter materialized his weapon. He stood against the wall perpendicular to the door so as to ambush the old man. The door creaked open, and Nyter was ready to pounce. The one who stepped out was not his target, however. There was no old man, but rather a slender female who entered. Her shoulder-length hair was the color or light purple, such as lavender. Her attire simple consisted of a necklace with a cross-shaped talisman and a dark blue dress. The surprise of this caused Nyter to lose focus, and as such, caused his weapon to dematerialize.**

[N] What trick is this old man doing? I have never seen this woman in my entirety here. Perhaps she visited when I was blind? I had never heard a female voice.

[?] "Good evening. I see you're fully functional. He didn't tell me you were such a strapping young man."

[N] Strapping young man? My hair reaches my torso and I smell awful. What is she talking about? No matter. I'll see what she has to say and then I'll kill her.

[?] "You can speak, can't you? Don't worry, you don't have to be afraid of me. He's gone now."

[N] "Gone? What do you mean? Explain yourself."

[?] "Demanding already? My my, what a free spirit. Yes, gone. He's dead."

[N] Dead? Is that why I haven't seen him in so long? Damn it. I wanted to be the one to slide a blade in-between his rib cage. "How did he die?"

[?] "We had no use for him. He exhausted his purpose. Additionally, we didn't particularly agree with his methods."

[N] "And what of me? What is my fate now? Left here to rot in this damned rat cage?"

[?] "Quite the tongue on this one, isn't there? You are done here. You are going to follow me."

[N] "And if I don't?"

[?] "I'll kill you where you stand and we'll start over with someone else."

[N] She has to be bluffing! She couldn't take me.

[?] "If you think you can take me down, you're free to try. I will subjugate you to my every command."

[N] I can't risk dying here. I've built up too much. I'll follow her until I can clearly see my demise.

 **Nyter follows the woman out of the door, making it the first time he has seen anything outside of his cell since he arrived as a child. There are dimly lit corridors on either side, illuminated only by a flickering light mounted to the wall. The smell is dank and musty, and mold is seen growing in small patches along the bottom of the walls. The woman leads Nyter through the left corridor, walking past several unlabeled doors.**

[N] "Am I allowed to ask questions or is that confidential?"

[?] "I'll see if your question is worth answering."

[N] "Where are we?"

[?] "That one's simple. Underground, of course. You think this filthy facility would be anywhere close to the surface?"

[N] Underground… I wouldn't know the first thing about escaping this place. Damn.

[N] "Where am I going?"

[?] "You're going to meet someone you should have met a long time ago. Sadly, the old bastard taking care of you didn't tell us you were successful at all. In fact, he was completely malnourishing you on purpose. You were supposed to be fed three times a day, but he fed you once, or not at all some days. That's why I removed him from his position and started feeding you myself."

[N] _That's_ why I was getting so much more food?

[N] "What is your name?"

[?] "Lilac."

[N] "Why am I here?"

[L] "Because you have a purpose. We're here now. Don't make any sudden moves, and definitely don't make a bolt for it. I'll catch you and break your legs if I have to."

[N] "How old am I?"

[L] "Ah, but you've exhausted all your questions! Sorry about that. Perhaps I'll tell you if you agree to spend a little more time with us."

 **Nyter and the woman both stopped in front of another unmarked door, completely identical to the previous doors they were passing. Lilac reaches around her neck and unlatches her necklace, revealing a small key. Breathing a sigh, she reluctantly presses the key into the lock and turns two full revolutions clockwise. Leaving the key in the lock, she opens the door and motions for Nyter to enter first. He obliges, keeping his guard up. Upon first entering, the room is filled with various electronic equipment, including large hard drives and servers, along with much more wiring surrounding the place. A man also sits in the corner of the room, typing on a computer with several different monitors and countless tabs open. His attire consists of a large white overcoat coupled with black shoes and white slacks. His hair strikes a dark orange, akin to a low fire. Noticing the door opening, he quickly turns around to view the visitors.**

[?] "Oh dear! It _was_ as successful as we thought! This is good, this is very good."

[N] "Who are you? Why am I here?"

[?] "My apologies. Where are my manners? Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Howard Torchwick. I am deeply sorry for the mistreatment you have endured, but it seems you have been well taken care of recently by my assistant. It is wonderful to meet you. Your name is something you probably want to know, correct? Well, allow me to explain. Your name is-"

 **Nyter notices that the man's speech has cut off instantly at this point, only moving his mouth while producing no sound. Nyter's vision begins to fade, completely drowning in darkness.**

[R] "This is bad… What do we do? If he dies, we die too. His heart rate is slowing down to a dangerous rate."

[G] "I have an idea, but it's not really the smartest."

[R] "If you think it'll save him, just do it!"

[G] "Alright. Sorry about this, Nyter. Ozpin, don't worry, this won't kill him. It'll just hurt really bad."

 **Nyter suddenly wakes, gasping for air in a cold sweat. He feels tremendous pain in his right leg, causing him to scream in-between breaths. Opening his eyes, Nyter sees Ozpin standing over him, looking quizzically as if he is looking right through his soul.**

[R] "Wow! It actually worked! Nice job! I underestimated you, Galer."

[G] "Nyter, calm down, the pain will subside."

[N] "What the hell is happening?!"

[O] "It appears that you fainted a few seconds after you released your companions. We believe you may have somehow gone into shock"

[N] Shock? No wonder… I haven't released Rodger and Galer in a while… It probably took all of the energy in my body to materialize them.

 **Nyter takes in deep breaths, attempting to calm himself down and assess the situation.**

[N] Was all that a memory? Did all of that _really_ happen?

[N] "Thank you for waking me, Galer. How did you do it?"

[G] "Would you believe me if I told you I shot you in the leg?"

[N] "Haha, you bastard. Hurts like hell. I can't complain, though, you may have just saved my life. How long was I out?"

[R] "Not long. Around half a minute."

 **At this moment, Nyter realizes one crucial detail. Rodger and Galer are still materialized. He looks over at Rodger, who has his bow strung around his back. He's quite muscular, as a result of training with physical hand-to-hand strikes. His auburn hair is short and messy, and his attire consists of a sleeveless brown leather vest and dark utility pants. To his left stands Galer, who is seen unloading his handgun. His slicked-back hair is shimmering in the light, glowing a deep black shade of green. He places his weapon back in his shoulder holster and puts his hands in his black slacks. His dark vest contrasts with the white dress shirt and red tie underneath, while it retains the badge Galer was given upon completion of police training.**

[N] "How are you guys still materialized? Shouldn't you have been gone the second I fainted?"

[G] "Yes, we should have. We're just as clueless as you are, Nyter. Would you like us to dematerialize? I don't want you wasting more energy than you already have. Your aura is plentiful, but even that has a limit."

[N] "I actually feel fine, full of energy, in fact. But to save myself from fainting again, I'm going to ask you to retreat please."

[R] "No problem. We don't want you dying."

[G] "Sure thing. Just don't materialize us again unless you absolutely need to."

 **Galer and Rodger are both seen dissipating, leaving only trails of their respective aura colors behind.**

[O] "Well, that was nothing less than interesting."

[N] "That is the power I've been given. Unfortunately, I don't seem to have _complete_ control over it, as you've seen just now."

[O] "When I first found you, I felt the enormous amount of aura in your body. I did not expect it to be even this powerful, however. I am impressed, and I do wish that you continue to be enrolled in my academy. Do you accept my offer, Nyter?"

[N] Attending the academy… Well, I don't have anything else to do. What do you guys think?

[R] Well, it gives you time to get to know Ruby Rose, doesn't it?

[G] You also have an opportunity to become a hunter. You may gain invaluable combat skills. You have the knowledge, but you've never had the practice on Grimm. This can prove to be your greatest course of action. If you decline, however, I will still support you.

[N] "I accept your offer."

[O] "Wonderful. I have personally scheduled your classes for you, so you needn't worry about that. Now, let us hurry to the entrance ceremony. I have a speech to give."

[N] "Lead the way."

 **Following Ozpin down the elevator to enter the auditorium, Nyter notices his leg has no wound, but it still hurts immensely. The pain of his leg causes him to limp, forcing himself to put weight on his non-injured leg. Ignoring his circumstance, Nyter reflects on his memory.**

[N] I believe I may be regaining portions of my memory.

[R] Really? That's great! Now you can know what the hell happened to you.

[G] Well, if it only occurs when you faint from extreme exhaustion, is it really a blessing?

[N] Actually, it was almost like I was dreaming. It felt completely real, though, which is why I believe it to be a memory. I remember stark visuals and feelings of pain. Not to mention the crippling darkness… It still haunts me to this day. Perhaps I will unveil more when the time comes.

 **Nyter and Ozpin split off, with Nyter going towards the standing crowd and Ozpin ascending the stage. Looking around, Nyter notices the large decorative spires behind the stage, containing a large aquamarine jewel in place of a window. The walls are even more intricate, with intertwining patterns and sunken reliefs. Nyter also notices Ruby talking to her sister, with Jaune standing awkwardly to the side.**

[N] Gotta make sure I don't make this limp noticeable. Don't want people questioning me.

 **Nyter decides to make his way behind Ruby and Yang, standing beside Jaune. Ozpin steps up to the microphone, adjusts his glasses, clears his throat, and begins his speech.**

[O] "I'll… keep this brief. You have traveled here today in search of knowledge; to hone your craft and acquire new skills. And when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. But I look amongst you, and all I see is wasted energy, in need of purpose, direction. You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step."

[N] Knowledge can only carry you so far… I'm glad I learned that.

[R] Now that that's over, let's see what our friends are talking about.

[G] _Our_ friends? They don't even know we exist.

[R] They will. Right, Nyter?

[N] I'm not so sure about that. I'm afraid I may fall unconscious once more if I materialize you guys. While that may reveal more about my past, I'm not sure if you can snap me out of it again. That was a risky move, and it was pure luck that gave you success. Also, if I were to simply _tell_ them you exist, I would look like a maniac.

[G] He makes a good point, Rodger. They don't even need to know about us. At least, not unless we're forced to work with some of them. Even then, their knowledge of our existence isn't paramount.

[R] I understand.

 **Glynda now approaches the microphone, sharing one final message.**

[Gl] You will gather in the ballroom tonight. Tomorrow, your initiation begins. Be ready. You are dismissed.

[R] Gather in the ballroom? With the girls? In pajamas? Oh boy. I'm so glad you accepted Ozpin's offer.

[G] I would counter your useless remark with an even more useless insult, but I'm feeling generous today. I'll humor you for this one.

[R] Nice to know I'm finally growing on you, Spinach.

[G] Why do you insist on that nickname? My hair is almost completely black, it looks nothing like spinach.

[R] Because one, it provokes a reaction, and two, when I first noticed your aura color, that's the first thing that came to mind.

 **While Galer and Rodger bicker, Nyter instead focuses on Ruby and Yang's statements.**

[Y] "He seemed kinda… off, don'tcha think?"

[Ru] "Almost like he wasn't even there…"

[N] If I saw what he just saw, I'd be off too.

[J] "I'm a natural blonde, ya know."

 **Nyter chooses this opportunity to get acquainted with Weiss and Jaune.**

[N] "Hello there… Weiss, was it? Sorry to get off on the wrong foot with you today. I was a little on edge."

[W] "I suppose I was also not in a stable state of mind. I accept your apology. Allow me to _properly_ address myself. I am Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company. "

[N] Schnee Dust Company… What do I have on that? Was I given knowledge of that company?

 **Nyter quickly recedes into his mind, attempting to find any information relating to the Schnee Dust Company.**

[N] Hmm… all I've got is a small history of the company, with rumors of it being unethical for reasons not particularly stated.

[W] "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have something to attend to."

 **Weiss is seen strafing out of the doorway, ever so elegantly, appearing to be in a rush. Jaune, Ruby, and Yang are off to the side making small talk, while the rest of the crowd seems to be disbursing to gather their overnight belongings. Nyter decides to speak to Jaune, attracted by his simple weaponry. Tapping Jaune on the shoulder, Nyter leads him away from Ruby and Yang.**

[N] "Hello, Jaune. I'm just here trying to get to know everyone. My name is Nyter, and it's a pleasure to meet you."

[J] "Well, since you already know my name, I suppose introductions for me are out of the question. But because I like flashy introductions, here it goes anyways! My name is Jaune Arc, short, sweet-"

[N] "And it really rolls off the tongue."

[J] "Uh, yeah… How did you know that?"

[N] "You're a pretty loud talker. I was just trailing behind you and Ruby earlier, didn't mean to eavesdrop. In any case, I like your sword. Can I see it?"

[J] "Sure. It's my grandpa's. He used it during the Great War. I guess you could say it's more of an heirloom…"

 **Jaune unsheathes his blade without grace, and places it between his hands, displaying it to Nyter.**

[N] "This craftsmanship is amazing… A very hardened steel, coupled with a peened pommel to prevent loosening of the grip and tang from repeated trauma to the blade. I like this sword very much, count yourself lucky. You may see it as a simple sword, but it's much more than that. Make sure you treat it with care, and it'll make sure you stay alive."

[J] "Thanks, Nyter. I hope you don't mind me asking, but where is _your_ weapon? I thought we were instructed to keep our weapons during the ceremony."

 **Yang bursts into view with Ruby, letting both Nyter and Jaune know she was eavesdropping.**

[Y] "I was also wondering about that, it seemed pretty weird that you didn't have your weapon on the ship here, or at any point since we've seen you."

[Ru] "Yeah, I also wanted to know why you didn't have your weapon on the ship. Did you get into Beacon without having one?"

[N] Sigh. There's no point in lying to them, is there?

[G] I'm sure you aren't the only one who can control their aura into physical objects. I see no harm in letting them know.

[N] Well, I hate lying, but I don't particularly want them to know what I can do. I believe I can twist this to my favor without lying to them.

[N] "Oh, you're right. My mistake. Allow me to grab them. I don't particularly enjoy talking to others while I have my weapons on me. I prefer for them not to be on edge."

 **Nyter quickly exits the vicinity and moves to a location that is unpopulated outside. Looking around to make sure no one is nearby, he begins his thought process.**

[N] Shortsword. Hilt, four and a half inches. Guard, four inches. Blade, eighteen inches. Profiled taper, fine point. Blade width, two and a quarter inches. Double edged. Pommel, circular, half-inch width, inch and a half circumference. Longsword. Hilt, 6 inches, two-hand grip. Blade length, thirty-three inches. Guard, five inches. Double edged. Pommel, half inch longer, otherwise same.

 **Two swords, each to Nyter's exact mental specifications, appear in each hand. The shortsword appears in the left, while the longsword appears in the right. He places them on his makeshift sword buckles and proceeds to reenter the room.**

[N] "These are my weapons. Dual swords. Though they aren't my only ones, I am also proficient with a rifle, handgun, and a bow and arrow. I also like hand-to-hand combat."

[Y] "Wow, that's pretty impressive."

[Ru] "Do you have those weapons with you too?"

[N] "Not at the moment. They'll be arriving tomorrow just before training."

[N] Oh boy. I need to get out of here. I dislike the attention.

[N] "Well as much fun as it was conversing with everyone, I'm going to go ahead and take a nap."

[Ru] "What? But we aren't supposed to sleep until several hours from now!"

[Y] "Yeah, dude. What's up with going to sleep so early?"

[N] "Just catching up on some lost sleep. I'll talk with you guys later tonight. I'm more of a night owl anyway."

[Y] "Whatever floats your boat, guy. Come on, Ruby. Let's go explore!"

[J] "Can I come?"

[Y] "Uhhh… I'd love for you to come, but today is sister-sister bonding day, sooo..."

[J] "As a boy who grew up with seven sisters, I know that day isn't until three weeks from now!"

[Y] "Um, we're celebrating it early… Let's go, Ruby!"

 **Yang drags Ruby by the hand, prompting Jaune to awkwardly follow them. Nyter takes this peaceful break to lay down on the floor and contemplate on today's events.**

[N] Perhaps I'll be more talkative when the sun goes down. You do know how I enjoy the night.

[G] Perhaps you enjoy it a little too much. Your love for roaming during the darkness often leads you to lose sleep, Nyter.

[N] That's fairly hypocritical coming from you of all people.

[G] I'm just looking out for your health.

[R] I agree with him. You may feel full of energy, but you should still get an adequate amount of sleep after that whole fiasco in Ozpin's room.

[N] Don't worry, I won't stay up too late. I'll simply do some talking with my fellow friends. Who knows, maybe they'll become my teammates.


	3. Chapter 3

After four months, here's the next chapter. I went ahead and wrote up to Chapter 9. This was so that I could have a headstart and a decent uploading schedule. Each chapter takes quite a bit of time to create, so once the uploads are caught up with what I'm in the progress of writing, there will be a long waiting period for the next chapter. Huzzah for writing ahead, though! Also, after Chapter 4, the chapters get very long. Like, zeldarubix long. Upwards to 35-40 pages. So if you aren't into that commitment, my bad. I just don't want to omit what I've written so far. I hardly write any dialogue or scene that isn't purposefully introduced.

Google Doc Link: **nyterngr3**

Legend: [N] = Nyter; [G] = Galer; [R] = Rodger; [Y] = Yang, [Ru] = Ruby; [W] = Weiss; [B] = Blake

* * *

Chapter 3

 **Nyter pushed the small dead brush aside, residing in its depths. He peers through the opening he created, observing several beowolves stalking their prey. The large, blackened creatures are seen prowling through the snowy forest, contrasting heavily with the white environment. Their great paws made marks in the snow, effectively allowing Nyter to trail heavily behind, but still able to view the tracks if he lost sight.**

[N] Who do you think they're after? There're quite a few beowolves, they can't all be preying on some small game.

 **Strangely, there is no response from Galer or Rodger. This is highly unusual, as Rodger is very talkative and Galer always offers advice to Nyter's questions.**

[N] Hello?

 **Still no response.**

[N] Galer? Rodger?

 **At this point, Nyter realizes he cannot even feel their presence. A feeling of loneliness immediately sinks in, akin to how he first felt when he was trapped in his cell.**

[N] What is going on? Where are you guys? Why can't I feel you anymore?

 **Dread starts to set in. Nyter depended on Galer and Rodger to keep his sanity at a respectable level. Without them, Nyter was bound to slip back into the darkness. He began to understand the seriousness of his situation, furthering his mental instability.**

[N] No… I have to distract myself. I can't go back. Galer and Rodger are just ignoring me. Back to the beowolves. What are they _doing?_

 **Advancing forward ever so slowly, Nyter continues to follow the endless amount of beowolves. They seemed as though they were wary of something, albeit still in the stance of hunting. As they trailed forward, Nyter followed, making sure to avoid creating enough noise to distract them from their hunt. Nyter can see the beowolves in the very front row stop near an enclosure, out of the frosted woods. He then notices something on the ground in front of him, covered by the snow.**

[N] A rose petal? In the dead of winter?

 **As he brushes aside the snow to pick up the petal, he notices more rose petals scattered around. Nyter decides to advance further, and the further he travels with the beowolf pack, the more rose petals he uncovers. The red of the petals heavily contrast against the white of the snowy landscape, like red speckled dots on a white map. The entire pack then stops in their tracks, and Nyter tries to see what stopped them. The front row seems ready to pounce. Nyter slowly circles around to get a view, and he sees a red hooded figure, with the cloak radiating a deep crimson. Rose petals are flying from the cloak in a seemingly endless wave, falling to the ground and being compacted by the limitless snow.**

[N] Is that…

 **Before his thought could be finished, the red figure steps away from its spot. Nyter can see that the figure was viewing a grave marker with a rose emblem on the face of the stone. As the figure turns around, Nyter cannot clearly see the pale face that hid behind the hood. Three beowolves approach, slowly moving their clawed paws towards the hooded figure. They rear up to pounce and jump towards their prey. Before they can make contact, the figure vanishes, leaving only a trace of petals behind.**

[N] Can it really be her?

 **Nyter's question is answered as he sees the figure soaring in the air, unobscured by her cloak through the cool wind.**

[N] Ruby Rose!

 **Ruby unsheathes her weapon while discharging a shot towards one of the beowolves. It penetrates the skull, leaving a lifeless corpse behind. Ruby lands and discharges several more shots, decimating the beowolves that dare challenge her. While Ruby is performing several evasive maneuvers, Nyter finds it extremely impressive to be able to shoot so straight under such duress.**

[N] Should I provide her with cover fire? Galer, lend me your rifle for now.

 **Yet again, no response.**

[N] Right. Looks like I'm on my own. I don't know the specifications of that rifle, but I sure as hell know my swords.

 **Nyter takes a few moments to visualize his weaponry in his mind. Pulling them from his aura, he materializes his two swords in his hands.**

[N] Alright, how's Ruby doing?

 **Ruby appears to be holding her own against the entire onslaught of beowolves, combining impressive scythe swings with a barrage of bullets. Viewing the spectacle, Nyter moves from his spot and joins in the assault. Running from his position, he stabs one beowolf in the back with his shortsword and stabs again through the heart with his longsword. Pulling his blades from its corpse, he blocks a blow coming in from behind and punished the attack with his own, slicing off a paw. He follows up with a flurry of blows from his shortsword while performing the final strike with his longsword, but he is unable to cut through the body. Immediately releasing his shortsword, he grasps the hilt of his longsword with two hands, finishing the cut and cleaving through the beowolf. Turning his head to Ruby, he watches as she slams her scythe into the ground, using it as a monopod for the rifle, blowing away several enemies advancing towards her. As a beowolf begins to swipe at her, she jumps and discharges a bullet, using her momentum to escape the vicinity and land in front of another enemy, which she quickly dispatches.**

[N] Such speed and momentum, I don't think even I could hold my own against her. I should ditch the shortsword for now, not enough power for these enemies.

 **Continuing to wield his longsword with both hands, Nyter closes in on two beowolves making their way towards Ruby. He swipes at their feet, but they pounce away from his attack, continuing their sprint towards Ruby.**

[N] Why are they all so interested in her? What did she do?

 **Ruby is seen dispatching several enemies at once, using her body weight as a catalyst for momentum, swinging her scythe in wild circles and lopping off body parts. She seems to favor decapitation, often pressing her scythe against the neck and discharging a bullet the gain more momentum for slicing off the head. She routinely defeats 4 beowolves in a span of a few seconds, killing more and more that advance towards her.**

[N] I haven't seen many people in action, but this definitely takes the cake. She doesn't even _need_ my help. How can someone be so powerful? She's so majestically beautiful, and there's even a method to her madness. I may not speak the language of love, but I do speak the language of battle. She's right up my alley. Wait, what am I thinking? I'm not supposed to think like this. I'm out for myself.

 **As Nyter contemplates, he is struck by a claw to his back. His aura protects him, but he is is knocked off his balance. Before the next blow can land, he sees the beowolf's head taken clean off by Ruby's scythe. She peers at him and winks before returning to the fight.**

[N] Am I truly just out for myself…? Is that what this darkness has done to me? No… I won't let it consume me. I cannot deny that others aren't worth more than my own life. She is just important as I am. She saved me.

 **At this point, Nyter is overcome by immense energy. His aura is radiating, and just as Ruby is emitting rose petals from her cloak, Nyter is releasing a copious amount of smoke from his body. Without contemplating on the specifications, Nyter materializes a large bastard sword from his aura, complete with a large guard which points up at the ends, ideal for catching stray attacks from the enemy. The ricasso is wrapped in stitched leather, allowing for the mixing of powerful blows with balanced strikes. The onyx-colored blade is sharpened to a razor edge, which ends at a fine point. The hilt is several inches long, built to house two hands but applicable with one. Nyter decides it's time to fight again and distributes his aura to his feet. He bounds towards the beowolves approaching Ruby, and Ruby is seen reloading her scythe with a new magazine. She uses this ammunition as increased speed and momentum, discharging bullets and moving at an incredible velocity, ripping apart limbs of her enemies and tearing them in half, spinning wildly in the process. Nyter similarly operates, using his aura's energy as momentum, cleaving through the beowolves in one strike, leaving waste to several bodies. Nyter and Ruby execute their enemies with deadly precision and speed, leaving behind trails of bodies. The beowolf onslaught is stopped, and Nyter breathes heavily as he's never used that much energy. His weapon dematerialized, and he collapses on the ground. He can hear footsteps running towards him, but it's hard to keep his eyes open. He faintly hears Ruby calling his name.**

[Ru] "Nyter? Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

 **Before he can make a response, he passes out from exhaustion.**

 **Gasping for air, Nyter wakes in a cold sweat. Others around him stop what they're doing and stare at him in confusion, unsure of what just happened.**

[G] Nyter? What's wrong? Did you experience another memory?

 **Unable to respond, Nyter continues to breathe heavily. A headache creeps into his skull, permeating throughout his entire brain. He attempts to slow his breathing and get a grasp on things, finally opening his eyes and gazing at the ceiling of the ballroom.**

[R] What's up with you? What happened?

[N] This wasn't a memory… This was different. I had knowledge of everything up to this point, so I think it was a dream. But it felt so real… And Ruby! She was in there with me. I was tracking a pack of beowolves in the winter, and I tried to contact you two, but you didn't respond… I couldn't even feel you anymore. I killed the beowolves with Ruby, and the power I felt… My sanity was draining but the more time I spent away from you two, the more I felt my power increasing. I'm not sure if I can even replicate that in the real world. I had some sort of weapon that I pulled from my aura, a weapon I've never seen before. It was very large, and it had a black blade… It had a leather ricasso and a turned-up guard. Does that sound familiar?

[G] Doesn't ring a bell. You seem very exhausted. Are you sure that was just a dream? A dream doesn't normally leave you feeling so debilitated.

[N] It had to be. Ruby knew me in the dream, so it couldn't possibly have been a memory. There is something about her, guys. Some part of me feels connected to her, like I've known her before, several lifetimes ago. I can't describe it. I've only been alive for a decade and a half, but I feel as though Ruby and I go back so much further than that. What's this feeling? Why am I feeling this way? I don't understand.

[R] Well, it's 10 o'clock at night and people are just about to go to sleep, but some others are staying up just a bit longer. Why not take your mind off it for now and talk to someone?

[G] Normally I'd disagree with you for the sake of disagreeing with you, but I think you're right, Rodger. Nyter, you should kick back for a bit. We'll be on guard if anything happens to you that you can't see. Remember though, we can only see what you can see, so we are depending on you for eyesight. Hearing is fine, however, as we can hear what you aren't paying attention to.

[N] I suppose you're right, I should stop over thinking for now and relax. I feel so exhausted from that dream, it's as if I truly expended that much energy in real-time. I'm almost afraid to fall asleep again.

 **Nyter pauses for a second, collecting his thoughts.**

[N] You know… Perhaps I'm getting better at manifesting my aura. I was able to pull a weapon without even thinking of the specifications. What if I were to try simply imagining something? Picturing it in my head, no measurements…

[G] Don't get ahead of yourself. You've reached your limit for now. Don't use any more energy tonight. Just take it easy.

[N] Alright. But I'm trying first thing in the morning tomorrow. I want to see if I've truly improved.

 **Nyter attempts to stand from his position and realizes that his legs are extremely sore. Not just because of the shot from yesterday; it was as if he ran several marathons. The soreness was also present in his arms and lower back, indicating strenuous arm motions with a heavy object.**

[N] What the hell? I don't understand how I can possibly be sore, I did nothing strenuous yesterday.

[R] You're right. This doesn't make any sense. You shouldn't worry yourself with it now, though. Just relax, let Galer and me handle coming up with theories. We'll come up with a conclusion soon enough.

 **Heeding Rodger's advice, Nyter heads towards Ruby and Yang, apparently arguing over something. A pillow hits Yang's face, knocking her backward. Nyter overhears her giving Ruby one piece of advice.**

[Y] "Look, it's only been one day. Trust me, you've got friends all around you. You just haven't met them yet."

[N] How coincidental.

[R] I'd agree with you, but you two have already met. Doesn't count.

[N] It counts to me.

 **Yang is seen taking Ruby by the hand and leading her over to the woman in black who witnessed Ruby's explosion earlier today.**

[N] Should I join in or wait until they're done?

[R] Well don't be a creeper. If you're gonna eavesdrop, at least try not to make it obvious.

 **Yang and Ruby are seen exchanging awkward sentiments with the woman in black. Her name is stated to be Blake, and she doesn't seem too interested in conversing with either of the two sisters.**

[Y] "Uh… Nice night, don't you think?"

[B] "Yes. It's… Lovely. Almost as lovely as this book. That I will continue to read. As soon as you leave."

[Y] "Yeah, this girl's a lost cause. Come on, Ruby."

[Ru] "What's it about?"

 **Blakes interest suddenly piques, prompting her to respond with** "Huh?"

[Ru] "Your book. Does it have a name?"

[B] "Well, it's about a man with two souls… Each fighting for control over his body."

[R] HAHAHAHA! Talk about coincidences! We really do live in a fantasy world.

[G] Honestly, that is pretty funny. Except in our case, it's three souls. And we're not fighting for control.

[N] Maybe it'll give me advice on what I could potentially do to get you two some help. Don't you guys want a body again?

[G] Not if it means using someone else's. I'm all for walking again, but in order to create a natural vessel for us, it would probably mean to take someone's life. I'm not _that_ desperate to breathe again.

[R] I agree. I would much rather be stuck inside you than either have someone die to become my body, or being an artificial construct.

[Ru] "I love books… Yang used to read me every night before bed. Stories of heroes, monsters. They're one of the reasons I want to be a huntress."

[B] "Why is that? Hoping you'll live happily ever after?"

[Ru] "I'm hoping we all will. As a girl, I wanted to be just like those heroes in the books... Someone who fought for what was right, and protected people who couldn't protect themselves!"

[B] "That's... very ambitious for a child. Unfortunately, the real world isn't like a fairy tale."

[Ru] "Well… That's why we're here. To make it better."

[N] Wow. How inspiring. This girl really is something else.

[G] She seems to have a very romanticized version of what becoming a huntress is like. Nothing wrong with that, though. Her innocence really shines through.

 **After Galer's statement, something inside Nyter snapped, causing him to collapse.**

[N] Innocence… The absence of sin. If one is not innocent, and they ask for retribution, are they still no longer innocent? Does innocence last until you commit that one sin that no longer defines you as the same righteous individual? Innocence is a farce, a statement created by mankind as an ideal to aspire to. None are truly innocent, for the sins of many exist in those who are destined to commit such acts of atrocity. Ignorance does not grant you innocence. If I were to kill an innocent man, and have no idea I killed him, does that mean I am still innocent? The variables don't add up. It's an impossible task to achieve. No one is born innocent. We are all truly evil within.

 **Nyter's eyes open, freed from his forced monologue. Ruby, Yang, and Blake all stare at him as he picks himself back from the ground.**

[N] Please tell me I didn't actually narrate that from my mouth.

[G] No, thankfully that was all in your head. What the hell was that? You sounded completely different.

[R] I'm scared.

[N] I don't know what happened. It's like something just came over me. I couldn't control it.

[R] It can't be from your exhaustion, can it?

[N] Maybe. I don't know. I'm probably just going crazy.

[Y] "Ooookayyyy… You alright pal?"

[N] "Yeah I'm fine, just feeling really exhausted, I can hardly stand."

[W] "What in the world is going on over here?! Can't you see some people are trying to sleep?!"

[N] Not this again…

[Y/W] "Oh not you again!"

[Ru] "Sh! She's right, people are trying to sleep...!"

[N] "Okay, everyone needs to just calm down. Nobody's here to fight anybody, let's just all get along."

 **With a distraught sigh, Weiss is seen once again stumbling away from sight, in pursuit of her sleeping bag.**

[Y] "That was a close one. I thought she was gonna lose her mind."

 **Nyter notices Ruby staring at him very intently, with her brow deeply furrowed. Her silver eyes seem to be piercing his soul, like she's looking right into him. Suddenly she notices him looking back at her, and shakes her head, getting a little red in the cheeks.**

[N] The hell? Why was she looking at me for so long?

[R] Who knows? Maybe she's madly in love with your voracious charms and influential voice.

[G] It looks like she was trying to remember something. Maybe something about you. Hard to tell.

[N] You don't think she had the same dream as me, do you?

[G] She doesn't look nearly as exhausted as you are. Plus, I'm not sure if she slept at all while you were out. When you sleep, we can't use eyesight, only hearing.

[N] Whatever the reason, I've never had someone look at me like that before. She wasn't even looking _at_ me. Strange. Guess I'll go talk to her.

[N] "Hey Ruby. I never asked, but I was quite curious… How did you advance two years to Beacon?"

 **The redness in Ruby's cheeks are still present, and Nyter notices she's trying not to make eye contact with him.**

[Ru] "Well… That's kind of a long story."

[N] "We've got time, don't we?"

[Ru] "Long story short, I met Torchwick, he tried to rob me, I kicked his henchmens' butts, I met a huntress, Glynda, she saved me, and then I met Ozpin and told him I really wanted to go to Beacon. He said that since I used my scythe with such good skill, he'd let me into the academy early. Sadly, Roman got away in a huge ship."

[G] This small child survived an encounter with Torchwick _and_ defeated his goons? What the _hell?_

[N] I'm telling you, she's not ordinary. That's why I've been wanting to talk to her.

[N] "That is _very_ impressive. I figured you were skilled, but I didn't know you were _that_ good."

[Ru] "Oh, it was nothing… I'm only that good because of my Uncle Qrow. I was utter garbage before he came along and trained me."

[N] "Well, if you're truly that amazing with your weapon, I would want to stick with you to increase my chances here. If I recall, we're doing teams tomorrow. Hopefully we get stuck together."

[Ru] "Thanks… It would be nice to be with you too."

 **Ruby audibly inhales and shakes her head, blushing once more.**

[Ru] "Well, not _with_ you… You know what I mean."

[N] "Yeah, I know what you mean. We should catch some rest before tomorrow. It's a big day ahead of us. Sleep well, Ruby."

[Ru] "Yeah, you too…"

 **Throughout the entire conversation, Ruby still did not maintain any eye contact with Nyter, just looking down or around his person.**

[N] She seemed so distant. Why? Sigh. Too many questions, not enough time for answers. I just wanna go to bed. I'm honestly too tired to keep asking things.

[G] As always, we'll be on guard. Sleep well, Nyter.

[R] Night.

 **Nyter picks a spot on the floor to lie down and promptly places his hands behind his head to act as a pillow. He stares at the ceiling for a long while, collecting his thoughts, yet one thought remains through them all. Ruby Rose. His mind flashes back to that image of her flying through the air, right after she vanished from the beowolves. As Nyter comes up with theories as to why she was acting so distant, he falls asleep to the image of her, granting him solace and peace in his time of confusion.**


	4. Chapter 4

Final warning: This is the last of the small chapters. I know that's not a problem for some people, but I know a few people who dislike lengthy chapters for whatever reason. Either way, I'll upload the next chapter when I feel it is appropriate, probably next Saturday.

You should be familiar with the legend by now, so to avoid spoiling any character appearances in the chapter, I'll list the legend at the end for reference of new characters.

Google Doc: **nyterngr4**

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Chapter 4

 **Nyter hears his alarm go off, waking him from his slumber. He cannot recall a dream from that slumber, which is unusual considering what happened the past few times with Ozpin and Ruby. Nyter does faintly recall an image of Ruby during his time asleep, ever present in his mind. Her smile, the way her silver eyes gaze at him, her red skirt flowing over her leggings, the way her crimson tips of hair fall just over her shoulders.**

[R] You know, we can feel your emotions too, not just your thoughts.

 **Snapping out of it, Nyter retaliates to Rodger's statement.**

[N] What the hell do you mean? What's that got to do with anything?

[R] Oh, I love how you get so defensive sometimes. Isn't it beautiful to be in love?

[N] I hardly know the girl. You don't even know what you're talking about.

[R] Perhaps, but perhaps not. I may have lived a secluded life, but I have experienced love at some point. You do know there is such a thing as love at first sight, right? My father and mother weren't the _only_ ones around in my lifetime. You remember Yuria.

[N] Yeah, I remember her.

[R] Besides, you say you hardly know Ruby, but you feel as though you go way back, correct? Maybe you _do_ know her. While you were asleep, Galer and I discussed what happened to you last night, and why Ruby was staring at you. We came up with a few reasons, but the biggest one was your aura. Yes, you can control your aura fairly well, but we think it's more powerful than even _you_ realize. We believe your aura can connect to someone, establishing a link of sorts. It would make the most sense, because during sleep, we're expending thoughts of others; we never see a face we haven't met before. Your dream was obviously of Ruby, and your aura probably sensed she was near, drawing itself to her. It could be the reason she was staring at you so intently, trying to remember if she met you somewhere before. She felt your presence in its purest form: your aura. That also explains why you felt so sore, you probably expended some aura during your dream state while connected to Ruby, prompting your muscles to stress as though that experience actually happened.

[N] That just brings more questions than answers. Why would she recognize me? I don't even think she fell asleep at the same time I did, she went off with Yang. I guess aura acts in ways we still can't comprehend to this day. Either way, I'm not in love with the girl. Sure, she catches my eye, but I feel no affection towards her.

[R] Your emotions state otherwise.

[N] Spare me from your sentiments. We have to get ready.

[G] Why do you insist on waking up so early? Only a few other people are awake at this time.

[N] I told you I was going to train my aura first thing in the morning. I feel fine now, there's no longer any soreness. Besides, I got enough rest yesterday. I have tons of energy right now. Nothing wrong with training early in the morning before an event.

 **Nyter begins to make his way towards Ozpin's chamber, taking the elevator that was directed to him yesterday. Once again, the feeling of discomfort sets in for Nyter and radiates within his aura. As the elevator ascends, the lights that illuminate the elevator begin to flicker but stabilize after just a few seconds. The doors open to Ozpin's room, much sooner than Nyter would have expected.**

[N] Did that seem quicker than usual?

[G] Yes, it did seem faster than last time.

[R] I wasn't really paying attention.

 **Nyter steps out into the room, viewing the oculus again with renewed curiosity. The cogwheels seem to be in different places, as well as several of the clocks. Even Ozpin's desk seems adjacent from its previous position. Ozpin himself is seen sitting in his chair, sipping from a white ceramic mug, some dark liquid, assumed to be coffee. Nyter gestures with his hands, stating his request.**

[N] "Well, do you have my stuff?"

[O] "Of course, of course. I wouldn't lie to you. Here is your bag. I believe you will find this to be more than adequate."

 **Ozpin reaches below his desk and removes a large duffel bag, placing it upon the desk. Nyter hesitantly walks toward the bag, sensing something off with Ozpin. He unzips the bag and finds his armor, along with several bags and pockets of items. Ozpin gestures for Nyter to try it on, indicating something different is supposed to be within. Nyter reaches in and grabs the armor set, noticing the texture is very different from what the piece had before. The entire leather set seems to have been replaced with reinforced black leather, along with a set of four metal plates upon the right shoulder guarding the upper arm. The stitching has also been redone, no longer frayed and worn. The black hood can now be detached and is held by two silver cross-shaped pins. Nyter tries on the armor, and, surprisingly, it has been custom fitted to his exact measurements. The chest piece holds a multitude of pockets for various items, and a few side pockets contain hidden throwing knives and water purification tablets. As Nyter tries on the leggings, he notices that the material is now flexible, yet still formed to his leg shape. This allows for better movement and comfortable long-term wear. There are a few bags attached to the side of his waist, one holding a small amount of gold dust, while the others contained blue and red dust. The boots are steel toed, yet still lightweight enough to comfortably run. Inside the left side of the right boot held a small dagger with a serrated edge.**

[N] "What's up with all the modifications?"

[O] "I had to make sure you would enjoy your time here, so I improved your gear enough to give you something to look forward to. The yellow dust in your left pouch can be rubbed on your blade to generate electricity, while the red and blue dust can combine to create steam and a cloud of smoke, making it easy to afford a last minute escape."

[N] "Why the knives? You know I can create weapons with my aura."

[O] "Everyone runs out of aura at some point. Whether it be through continuous aura usage or repeated abuse, you won't have it all the time. It's always a good idea to have a backup plan."

[N] "I doubt I'll find a use for it, but thank you nonetheless. What time should we be out in the field?"

[O] "Ten o'clock. Please try your best to not be late."

[N] "You act as though I have something to do until then."

[O] "Well you did get up this early; if you get up at 7:30 in the morning, you obviously have somewhere to be."

[N] "Just doing a bit of training."

[O] "Understood. If you wish for solitude, you may go into the small garden patch behind the academy. Everyone should either be still asleep or getting ready, no one should be at the patch during this time."

[N] "Wonderful. Thank you. One more thing: How did you get my exact size and measurements?"

[O] "In the facility you were kept in, there was a clipboard on the desk next to you. It listed simple data, like your exact height, weight, chest size, torso width, leg length, shoe size, and even advanced data, such as your gene sequences, traits, and even several fingerprints. I handed over the measurements to someone so they could improve your gear for you."

[N] "Well, can't say I can complain. Thanks once again."

 **Nyter exits the room and travels down the elevator to the first floor. He travels outside the academy, turning right outside of the doors. The sky is tinted a beautiful red as the sun rises, creating a marvelous effect on the clouds. Birds are heard chirping, signaling the start of the day, along with a crow cawing in the distance. Attempting to find his way towards the garden, Nyter stumbles upon a rosebush, singled out from the regular brush around it. He plucks a rose, carefully avoiding the thorns. Dethorning the rose, he inspects the redness of the petals and the softness they give off. Attempting to radiate his aura, he opens his other hand and imagines the rose in his mind. Thinking of the texture, the color, and the chemical makeup of the rose, he tries to pull it from his thoughts. As he opens his eyes, he sees a dark rose in his left hand, with dark silver petals.**

[N] See? I told you guys I could do it. I'm getting better. I wonder how much more room for improvement there truly is for me.

[G] I have to admit, that is impressive. I don't know how you can control your aura so fluently, especially in a physical form.

[R] The best I could do was redirect arrows. You've got me beat.

[N] The only way to truly see how much I can do is to train.

[G] I admire your dedication, but don't exert yourself. We have our training exercise today.

[N] I won't do anything strenuous, don't worry.

 **Nyter places the silver rose behind his ear and continues towards his destination. Following the concrete path, Nyter takes a moment to view his surroundings. He spots the garden ahead of him, full of vines and trimmed bushes, along with several planters of different flowers. Red roses, yellow chrysanthemums, white tulips, and a very rare version of petunia, the "Black Cat Petunia". The garden's entrance is an archway, formed by an overhead hedge, suspended by two tall hedges, creating a wall and doorway. Nyter can hear footsteps, contrary to what Ozpin told him. Ducking down behind the left hedge, he peeks around to the inside of the garden. Ruby is seen taking a rose and gently plucking the petals, allowing each one to slowly fall to the ground before removing the others. Listening carefully, Nyter can hear small sobs coming from her, along with occasional sniffling.**

[R] Oh dear. That's not good. Go on, talk to her.

[N] Are you _mad?_ I don't know how to cheer people up. I'm almost more socially awkward than you when someone is upset.

[R] Well, think of a way to make her happy or excited. She likes weapons, doesn't she?

[N] She's already seen mine, what's the point in showing her again?

[R] She hasn't seen Galer's yet. Or mine. Although since Galer and Ruby both have high impact rifles, how about we see which one shoots better?

[G] My rifle is not a toy. I don't want that thing shot unless you truly need to. If you would so like, however, I will _lend_ it to you. Just don't shoot anything with it.

[N] I guess showing her the rifle can't be too bad.

 **With Galer's permission, Nyter materializes the rifle in his hands. The rifle is polished with a gun-black finish, made with a stainless steel barrel built for extreme accuracy at long distances. It is bolt action, requiring a manual rechambering of the next bullet after every shot. The scope is able to magnify from 5 times, up to 25 times. Due to this not being a true physical weapon anymore, Nyter relies on Galer's aura to act as ammunition, forming and reforming bullets after each shot is discharged. Slinging the rifle on his back, Nyter begins to approach Ruby, who is on her last petal. Before he can call out to her, he hears her singing softly to herself.**

[Ru] " _Red like roses_

 _Fills my dreams and_

 _Brings me to_

 _The place you rest…"_

[N] "Hey Ruby!"

 **Ruby suddenly jolts, obviously not expecting someone else to come here. She immediately dries her eyes with her sleeve, trying to cover up the fact she was crying. As Nyter approaches, he can see the slight puffiness in her eyes and small tear stains on her cheeks.**

[Ru] "What are you doing here? Ozpin told me no one else would be here…?"

[N] "Really? He told me that too. When did you get here? And why are you here so early?"

[Ru] "I just got here, actually. I normally wake up and go outside for a bit, admiring the world in front of me. Sometimes I train and work on deploying Crescent Rose as fast as I can. I asked Ozpin if there was some place I could do that in private."

[N] "Crescent Rose? Your scythe?"

[Ru] "Yeah. I think it's a fitting name."

[N] "You don't have it with you though, where is it?"

[Ru] "We were supposed to put our weapons in those lockers, remember?"

[N] "... Lockers…?"

[Ru] "Don't tell me you didn't know we had lockers…"

[N] "Absolutely no clue. I had no knowledge of anything here ahead of time…"

[Ru] "But they explained it in the lecture before we got on the ship here, and I could have sworn you were there."

[N] "Oh, I must have fallen asleep… My mistake. Oh well. I have too many weapons to put in a locker anyway."

[Ru] "Speaking of which, what do you do with them? Don't you have a lot?"

[N] "Yeah, I've got my rifle right now, the others are… Well, that's a secret. Let's just say I have a secret stash. Would you like to see my rifle?"

[G] It hurts hearing you call it _your_ rifle.

[N] I have no other choice, so deal with it for now.

[Ru] "Whoa, it's so huge! Did you design it yourself?"

[N] "No, it was a gift from a friend of mine. Shoots a fairly long distance, but it's heavy as hell. Almost always have to use a bipod."

[Ru] "Can you shoot it?"

[G] Don't you dare.

[N] "Uh… It's pretty loud and people are still asleep. I'll be using it today during training, though, so you'll probably see in action there."

[Ru] "I'm looking forward to it!"

[G] Why do you put yourself in these situations? Now you are going to use it on a petty training exercise. What a joke.

[N] Oh come on, calm down. You're just being sensitive because you were never able to use it in battle. However, if we are alone, I'll let you use it yourself, and Rodger can also use his weapons too.

[R] But that'll leave you wide open. You know your aura doesn't defend you, you have to count on us to do that. Let Galer have his fill, I'll be alright defending you.

[N] No, you two have been cooped up long enough. I'll find out a way to use my aura in more defensive methods. It may not be automatic, but I'm sure I can make it work somehow. All I ask is that you keep an eye out, we can't have everyone knowing about this.

[G] While I am glad you're letting us free, I do worry about you. If you die, we all die. That's why I'm going to stick right next to you when we're materialized so I can defend you at a moment's notice.

[N] Suits me. You shouldn't stray far away from me anyway.

[Ru] "Where did you find that rose? It looks so beautiful."

[N] Oh no.

[G] Good luck explaining that one.

[R] Rest in peace?

[N] "Uh… It's artificial. I found it laying around Ozpin's office. I grabbed it when I got my armor."

[Ru] "I was wondering why you looked so different. I really like the pieces, they compliment you a lot… And there's no way that rose is artificial! Lemme see it."

[N] Ohgodpleasehelpme

[G] You're on your own, kid.

[R] Tell her you need to use the bathroom?

[N] That's embarrassing!

[R] You said you felt nothing towards her, so it shouldn't be embarrassing, right?

[N] Damn you. Forget it.

 **Nyter takes the rose from behind his ear and hands it to Ruby.**

[N] I can't lie. It hurts me.

[Ru] "Wow, it feels so real… I've never seen a rose like this before. The petals are so soft, but something seems off about it…"

 **Ruby begins to smoothly touch the petals with her thumb and index finger, rubbing against the soft texture. Meanwhile, Nyter begins to squirm.**

[N] I can literally feel her caressing me right now. I didn't think that rose would be connected to my sense of touch. I don't know whether to be happy or uncomfortable.

 **Ruby hesitantly hands the Rose to Nyter, almost seeming to want to keep it.**

[N] She wants to keep it. I know it would cheer her up to have it, but I don't know if the rose will disintegrate over time or if it got out of my range.

[R] Let her keep it. She has no idea that you materialized it, she just thinks you got it from Ozpin. If it disintegrates, she'll probably just come up to her own conclusion that has nothing to do with you.

[N] You're both lunatics.

[N] "You can keep the rose, since it fits you so well. That is your last name, after all. I assume you really like it, there's no harm in keeping it."

[Ru] "Thanks… It's really pretty."

 **Ruby tucks the rose behind her ear, using the layers of her hair to keep it in place.**

[N] I've never seen a more beautiful sight.

[R] What was that, Mr. I Don't Feel Anything? Care to repeat that?

[N] Repeat what?

[R] What you just said!

[N] What did I say?

[R] You don't even know you said it. Gorgeous. This is rich.

[N] Galer, what did I say?

[G] 'I've never seen a more beautiful sight.'

[N] You're lying.

[G] Would I lie to you?

[N] Sorry. I guess I'm just getting defensive.

[G] Rodger, stop teasing the poor kid. You know he has problems with emotions.

[N] Only emotions dealing with attachment.

[G] Well you're attached to us. Or rather, we're attached to you. Literally.

[N] I don't even know anymore. Maybe these feelings will pass. Hopefully.

[R] How dreadfully apathetic of you.

[N] I try.

[Ru] "So… How did you get into Beacon? You look younger than everyone else."

[N] Is that a statement on my height?

[R] Well, you _are_ shorter than both me and Galer.

[G] Hey, being 5'7 is nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, it gives you an advantage. Easier to sleuth around.

[N] … Thanks for trying.

[N] "Yeah, I'm kind of a special case like you. Ozpin wants the details between me and him, but let's just say he's impressed with me, the same way he was impressed with you."

[Ru] "I take it you're a good fighter, then. I can't wait to see us all in action today! I love watching huntsmen and huntresses fighting together. It's basically like I'm living my fantasy."

[N] "Speaking of that, I've gotta train, and there's only about an hour left. I'll leave you to your training and I'll find a place to do mine. I need the utmost focus, so I have to find a place of solitude."

[Ru] "Don't worry, I'm just about to leave. I like being early. Thank you so much for the rose. It's so gorgeous."

 **She feels the rose petals that are stationed in her hair, which send a chill down Nyter's spine.**

[N] It's like getting a massage.

 **As Ruby gets up to leave, her hair continuously brushes against the rose petals, causing a tickling sensation within Nyter. He tries to hold his laughter but finds it rather difficult; all her individual hairs are brushing against the petals as if thousands of feathers were being brushed against his skin.**

[N] I don't know if I can handle this.

 **Ruby walks past Nyter, and her cloak runs along his side as she passes him by. He instinctively touches it, allowing it to run past his fingers. The cloak is very soft, almost like velvet, yet made out of a material he couldn't recognize from just touch alone. As the rest of the cloak leaves the tips of his fingers, he clenches his fist, as if he felt he had let something go. As she leaves, he can feel her hair continuously brushing against the petals of the rose, although he has managed to keep his composure. Nyter watches as the red cloak vanishes the garden patch, leaving through the hedged archway and out towards the academy.**

[N] Well, let's get to work.

 **Nyter spends his time in the patch concentrating on several different items to produce using his aura. Such items include a dagger, sword, a few more roses, cubes, and very small knives. Deciding to work on his projections, he attempts to recreate a dagger without thinking of the measurements or composition. He simply imagines a dagger, small and concise, nothing extraordinary. As he pulls this dagger from his mind, he opens his eyes and sees it in front of him.**

[N] I knew I could do it! Although, it feels hollow, like the first time I tried measurement projection…

 **During his thought processes, he feels a startling sensation of touch, as if someone was touching him on his chest and torso.**

[N] Is she _still_ fondling that rose? I guess the chest is better than other places. I'm not ticklish on my chest.

 **As soon as his thought is finished, he feels more sensations around his body. His arms, hands, face, legs, back, and worse, his thighs.**

[N] I am uncomfortable.

[R] This is both agonizing and hilarious to watch at the same time.

[G] A woman's touch can leave you senseless. In your case, it's doing the opposite.

[N] What do _you_ know about women?

[G] Hey, I have my past. You don't know _everything_ about me.

[N] I just didn't think you'd be the kind of guy who tries to keep attached to people, let alone the opposite gender.

[G] There's a lot you don't know about me. Perhaps I'll crack and open up to you one day. Today is not that day. Just keep focusing.

[N] I think I've done enough. I don't want to drain myself before the big training exercise. Shall we go?

[G] Sure.

 **As Nyter gets up to leave, he hears a small rustling behind the bushes. Immediately suspecting someone spying, he rushes to the other side of the patch, exiting through the hedge doorway. Looking to his right, he spots Ruby, obviously flustered and covered in leaves from the bushes.**

[Ru] "Oh, ah… I just came back because I left something-"

[N] "How long have you been watching me?"

[Ru] "I wasn't watching! I was just-"

[N] "Ruby."

[Ru] "You said you didn't know a lot, so I thought I'd at least come back to show you where the lockers are… I didn't mean to snoop, but I was really curious and I wanted to see you train because you don't have anything other than that rifle and I didn't know what the heck you were talking about when you said something about a secret stash so I thought you were going to pull some weapons behind the bushes or something but it turns out that-"

[N] "Ruby, what did you see?"

[Ru] "You closed your eyes, and then you all of a sudden had a-"

[N] "In that case, how about we just walk to our lockers. That's what you came to show me, right?"

[Ru] "I'm really really really really sorry…"

[N] "You'll _really_ be sorry if you don't show me where those lockers are at. Look, I'm not mad or anything. It's almost time to start, and I don't even know where the lockers are or where to go. So let's go, shall we?"

[Ru] "O-okay… This way."

[N] "And let's just keep this between us, okay?"

[Ru] "Right."

 **Ruby escorts Nyter towards the locker room, while Galer and Rodger discuss their sentiments.**

[G] Well, that was nothing short of embarrassing and awkward. So much for being discreet.

[R] She was bound to find out sooner or later.

[N] What do you mean? Why her?

[R] I just had a feeling. I think she'll be safe with the information. Don't fret too much about it.

[N] Whatever you say. I doubt she even knows what happened. She's still wearing that rose, though… I wonder if she knows it's from me now.

 **As Nyter's thought ends, Ruby stops in her tracks. She looks down and begins to shake her head.**

[N] "Ruby?"

 **She turns around to face Nyter and makes eye contact with him. Her brow is furrowed, and her eyes are squinted.**

[Ru] "Did you say anything just now?"

[N] "I said 'Ruby," but that was it."

[Ru] "Are you sure? You didn't say anything? I thought I heard you say something about a rose… And me knowing something. I felt like you said it, but you didn't speak out loud. Were you mumbling to yourself?"

[N] I didn't say anything aloud did I?

[G] I don't believe so.

[R] You used to have a habit of saying things to us out loud, rather than thinking it.

[N] "Maybe you're just a little excited at your first real day at Beacon. I'm sure your nerves are just jumpy. Don't worry about it."

[R] Nice save.

[Ru] "I guess so."

 **Ruby shakes her head once more and leads Nyter through the entrance, past the ballroom, and stops before a large door. She opens it, and gestures for Nyter to enter first.**

[N] "Thank you."

 **She nods her head and walks over to her locker, putting in the code to open the lock. Nyter notices two other individuals entering the room alongside him. One is male, with long black hair tied into a ponytail, wearing a tailed green overcoat and white pants. A black serpent design is embroidered on the front of the chest piece, coiling around the green surface. In his hair lies a single magenta-colored streak. The other is female, with short orange hair, similar in length to Ruby. She sports a white tee, tucked into a short pink skirt with white frills. She wears a very short black vest, sleeveless and collared, that wraps around her abdomen while leaving her chest open. Above her breasts is a small heart cut out of the tee, exposing her skin underneath. The man in the green tailcoat breathes a sigh, expressing his exhaustion from his partner beside him. She seems to be pestering him about some secret signal or codeword they can use to find or contact each other so they could pair up during the training exercise. He seems to be loading his two weapons, small twin-pistols with an icepick dagger in front, from his locker.**

[No] "Can you imitate a sloth?"

[Re] "... Nora?"

[No] "Yes, Ren?"

 **Ren places his weapons in his sleeves and counters her request with a witty remark.**

[Re] "I don't think sloths make a lot of noise."

 **At a loss for words, she seems to be stumped. However, instead of silencing herself, she bolsters her point even further.**

[No] "That's _perfect!_ No one will suspect we're working together!"

 **Nyter lets out a small chuckle and inspects the room. Ren begins to leave, with Nora in tow, skipping along. Ruby appears to be discussing something with Yang beside her locker. In the room lies quite a few lockers, yet there doesn't seem to be a lot of people. From what he can see, there's the rich Schnee girl, some girl in bronze armor with a spear, Jaune, Ruby, and Yang. Nyter concludes that most of the people are probably already on the practice field. He decides to listen in on Ruby's conversation since he doesn't really have a locker to use and she knows where she's going. Hopefully. During the ballroom "sleepover", Nyter saw that same bronze girl. Very long red hair, a golden crown, breastplate made of bronze that exposes the collarbones and chest, golden bracelets, spear, shield. Definitely the same girl.**

[Y] "You seem awfully chipper this morning."

[Ru] "Yep! No more awkward small-talk or getting-to-know-you stuff. Today, I get to let my sweetheart do the talking."

 **Ruby affectionately grabs her weapon and caresses it, stroking along its surface.**

[Y] "What's up with that rose in your hair? Where'd you get that?"

[Ru] "Oh! Uh, Nyter gave it to me."

 **Yang peers over to where Nyter is sitting, and Nyter gives her a wave.**

[Y] "Riiiiight… Well, it looks good on you. Why is it gray? Is it dying or something?"

[N] Ouch.

[Ru] "He said he found it in Ozpin's room. I have no idea why it's this color. I really like it though."

[Y] "Sooo… He stole it."

 **Nyter takes this opportunity to pipe up and join the conversation.**

[N] "Whoa whoa, let's not start accusing me of stuff. I didn't steal it. In fact, for the sake of me not wanting to recite lengthy dialogue, let's just say it's _my_ rose."

[Y] "Whatever, dude. Anyways, Ruby, you're not the only one going through initiation . . ."

 **At this moment, Nyter completely spaces out, almost collapsing in the process. However, he gets ahold of himself and snaps out of it. He shakes his head, confused at what just happened.**

[N] What the hell?

[G] You know, strange things have been happening to you ever since you got here. Regaining memories, randomly collapsing on the floor and losing consciousness, going on a huge monologue about "innocence"... I think you need to talk to Ozpin. For your own sake.

[R] I'm kinda gettin' creeped out. Not gonna lie.

[N] I'll be fine. I'll talk to him after training. Really, I feel completely okay. I just probably had my knees locked too long or something.

[G] I sure hope so.

 **Nyter narrows in on the topic at hand once again. Ruby suddenly appears nervous, obviously at something Yang said.**

[Ru] "Um… I don't know, I'll just be on your team or something…"

[Y] "Maybe you should try being on someone else's team…"

 **Taken aback by Yang's statement, Ruby retaliates with offense taken.**

[Ru] "My dear sister Yang, are you implying you do not wish to be on the same team as me?"

[Y] "I just thought…"

[N] "Well, Ruby, I don't know about Yang, but I would love to be on the same team as you."

[Y] "See! You've got yourself a nice teammate already!"

 **Ruby blushes at Nyter's statement, looking away from him. As if by perfect execution, the attention is drawn away from Nyter to Jaune, as he is very clearly upset by his locker placement.**

[J] "There's no way I put my gear in locker 636 yesterday! I would've remembered having to count that high! Why does this have to happen today…?"

 **While Jaune frets about his locker, Weiss is seen introducing herself to the girl in bronze armor.**

[W] "So, Pyrrha, have you given any thought to whose team you'd like to be on? I'm sure everyone must be eager to unite with such a strong, well-known individual such as yourself."

[P] "Actually, I was planning on letting the chips fall where they may."

 **Weiss continues insinuating that she and Pyrrha belong on a team together, and Jaune then introduces himself, once again, to both Weiss and Pyrrha, obviously trying to gain attention from Weiss. Nyter smiles to himself, humoring the dialogue between the three students.**

[N] Jaune's trying to play Weiss _and_ Pyrrha. What a guy.

 **During Jaune's boasting, he gets a little too close to Weiss. Weiss directs Pyrrha to help, who in turn chucks her spear at Jaune, pinning him to a locker. A grateful Weiss mouths the words** "Thank you," **and exits with Pyrrha. Yang and Ruby approach Jaune, and Yang expresses her solace.**

[Y] "Having some trouble there, Lady Killer?"

[J] "I just don't get it…"

 **Once again, Nyter begins to lose spatial awareness and slumps off the bench he was sitting. As if waking from a slumber, he pulls his head back up and shakes off the feeling.**

[G] Nyter, what the hell is going on with you? There's something terribly wrong with your physical or mental state.

[N] I've probably just expended a lot of aura energy, materializing that rose and that dagger.

[G] For God's sake, worry about yourself for once! You're not in the right state to continue this exercise!

[N] Galer, you're talking to a man who personally aided Ozpin with missions kept from the public. I think I can handle a meager training exercise.

[G] Your arrogance will be your downfall. Don't tell me that I didn't try to help you once you faint in the middle of battle.

[R] Let the kid learn from his mistakes. He's too valuable to Ozpin; if anything happens, I'm sure Ozpin will step in.

[N] I can handle myself. I'll be okay, guys.

 **Galer ignores Nyter's last statement and expresses a feeling akin to a large sigh. All of a sudden, Nyter hears his name being called, apparently for the third time.**

[Ru] ". . . _Nyter!_ Are you coming or not?"

 **Looking back at Nyter, Ruby seems to be supporting Jaune's body while leaving the room. Nyter gets up from his position and decides to trod along, considering he doesn't know where he's going. Following Ruby, Jaune, and Yang out to the practice field, Nyter can feel his legs getting heavier and heavier, but the feeling subsides after a while. The four students find themselves in an opening, void of any nearby trees. The grass is fairly healthy, and quite long, indicating an all natural land reserve. There are several students ahead, a few unrecognizable, but the others were the students Nyter met in the locker room. Ozpin is seen standing in front of all of them, sipping on what's assumed to be coffee. Behind him is Glynda Goodwitch, and behind her is a massive cliff face. Spanning hundreds of feet down, the students are at an altitude that reaches even above the tall trees below the cliff side. Ruby, Yang, Jaune, and Nyter each step on the remaining four silver tiles placed in the grass. Ozpin takes a sip of his mug and addresses the four late students.**

[O] "Two minutes late, Nyter. I expected better from you. No matter, as we will now begin initiation. For years, you have trained to become warriors, and today, your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest."

[Gl] "Now, I'm sure many of you have heard rumors about the assignment of 'teams.' Well, allow us to put an end to your confusion. Each of you will be given teammates. Today."

[N] Well that's just dandy. Here's to getting Ruby Rose on my team.

[R] Here's to getting Pyrrha. She's quite the woman, isn't she?

[O] "These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon. So it is in your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you can work well."

 **Ruby lets out quite an audible groan.**

[O] "That being said, the first person you make eye contact with will be your partner for the next four years.

[N] Four years? That's enough time to get acquainted, don't you think?

[R] Wow. That's unfair. What if we get that Jaune guy? Four years? Maybe we need to rethink our strategy.

[N] Eh, it'll be alright. I'll search for Ruby, first thing.

[Ru] "Four years…? _Whaaaat?!"_

[O] "After you've partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest. You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path... or you _will_ die."

[N] There goes your plan of Ozpin swooping in and saving the day.

 **Galer produces unease but does not say anything to Nyter or Rodger.**

[N] Look, if I can't survive a simple training exercise, maybe I wasn't cut out to be a hunter. This test will determine that. Put yourself at ease, at least knowing that fact.

 **Nyter instead feels Galer's unease deepen. Nyter lets out a sigh and waits for Ozpin to finish his spiel. Ozpin expresses that everyone should be using their landing strategy, as they will be launched off their pads into the forest. This seems to upset Jaune, who clearly does not have a landing strategy. Ozpin seems unaffected by Jaune's questions and insecurities about landing, simply sipping from his mug.**

[N] It's been awhile since I've done it, but I think I can pull it off. You guys ready?

[R] Ready as I'll ever be.

 **Galer remains silent.**

[N] Alright, here we go!

 **Nyter places his hands on his legs, and they begin glowing a black radiance. Reinforced with his aura, his legs are ready to take to the ground. Nyter's pad launches him into the sky, along with his colleagues. Ruby is seen using her gravity ammunition to safely descend to the ground, while Jaune is seen helplessly flailing through the air. As Nyter braces for the impact, the aura radiating from his left leg begins to flicker. Panicking, Nyter attempts to radiate more aura to the affected leg, to no avail. As he lands, he hears an audible snapping sound and immediately loses consciousness.**

* * *

Legend: [No] = Nora; [Re] = Ren; [P] = Pyrrha


	5. Chapter 5

Now that the baby chapters are out of the way, here's the real meat of the story. One day before the Volume 4 finale! I figured it would be better to release it today rather than tomorrow during the finale. This chapter was written after the months-long hiatus. There may be a slight change in the way I wrote this compared to the other chapters, not just in length. In my opinion, it's a little better to read.

Google Doc: **nyterngr5**

* * *

Chapter 5

[N] Darkness… It's back. The dark was never gone. My namesake… The night always has to come back some time. We can use giant spotlights and flares, we can use the brightest star in space, but even those eventually wane, revealing the darkness they kept at bay.

 **Nyter finds himself encapsulated in complete darkness. He cannot see anything, but he can feel his legs standing on something tangible. He holds his hands out to feel anything in front of him, to no avail. For the first time, Nyter feels at ease in this darkness. It no longer scares him. He knows he is alone, but because of that fact, there are no adversaries. The only one in this darkness is Nyter. Embracing its clutch, he walks forward, with no clear direction or purpose. He has forgotten, once again, where he was that brought him to this darkness. Rather, the darkness may have presented itself to him for once. He walks and he walks, certain that this darkness shields him. It is his protectorate, his one solace against the insanity that plagues his psyche. Nyter can feel the darkness smiling, embracing its child within its bosom. He accepts the embrace, opening his arms and advancing further along his path. There is breath on his shoulder, a constant inhale and exhale, watching over him as he slowly makes his pilgrimage. There is no clear way to tell how much time has passed. The only sense Nyter has in this darkness is touch, he cannot hear or see. There is no smell. His mouth is bland and tasteless. He does feel, however, the darkness. It glides over his skin, it touches his cheek and dries his tears. The darkness that Nyter was afraid of for so long is now his guardian. Suddenly, Nyter feels a cold touch on his forehead that shocks him. He stops in his tracks, confused at what the source could be. It wasn't the darkness… it was something different. Again, the touch comes and goes, against five points across his forehead and temples. The darkness is angry, Nyter can tell. It is angry that something is interrupting his pilgrimage. The darkness roars in frustration, unable to find the cause of this disturbance. Nyter snaps out of his trance, wholly aware of the predicament he's in. He immediately waves his hand in front of him, attempting to radiate his aura. The darkness churns, roaring in despair and agony. Its shade turns from pitch black to a moderate gray until it reaches the satisfactory dark silver that Nyter is pleased with.**

[N] Boy, that was close. Almost fell for it this time. Let's see what's going on in the real world.

 **Withdrawing from his mind, Nyter escapes into the material world, opening his eyes. He winces in pain from his left leg, which causes him to close his eyes again. He hears a voice, a man. The man speaks to him in a calming tone.**

[?] "You sure had a hell of a fall, didn't ya?"

 **The voice sounds light, yet concerning. As Nyter opens his eyes to view the source of the voice, he sees a slightly built male, with brown hair and dark colored eyes. His hair is slicked back, similar to Galer, and his face is slightly unshaven but neat. His skin is light but tanned enough to denote heavy outside activity. He wears a tan duster, with a black vest and bandolier around his chest. Equipped to his dark pants are two holsters, each holding a pistol. On the ground next to him lies a rifle, western-style, bolt action. From what Nyter can see, his right hand is completely metallic. The man is dipping a small rag in a container of water which sits above a small fire, contained in a metal spit. He places the rag on Nyter's head, patting it several times. He then places his metallic hand on Nyter's forehead, lightly prodding it with his cold fingers, the same touch Nyter felt while inside the darkness.**

[N] "Who are you?"

[?] "The name's Marcus. Marcus Friedman. Pleased to meet you. I saw you in the air with the others, but it looked like something went wrong with your landing strategy. You fell on the ground and passed out from the pain of fracturing your left leg. I'm guessing you were using your aura to absorb the impact of the ground. As stupid as that may seem to some people, it's actually a pretty useful technique, as the force isn't necessarily completely absorbed by your aura, but rather dispersed across all surfaces equally. My guess is that something went wrong with the aura placement in one of your legs, which caused it to fail. And now here we are, with a fractured leg and a bleeding forehead."

 **Marcus lifts his hand away from Nyter's head to reveal the metal hand covered in blood.**

[M] "Thankfully, your head injury is just superficial. That leg, though… That's gonna take a while."

 **Nyter looks at his leg and doesn't see anything externally wrong with it. Upon trying to move it, however, he feels immense pain and struggles to even move it a few centimeters.**

[M] "Yep, I know how that feels. That's why I got me one of _these."_

 **Marcus slaps his left leg with his right hand, creating a ringing sound. Apparently, his leg is also made of metal.**

[N] "Are you another student? How did you find me? Are you involved with the training?"

[M] "I'm a little too old to be enrolled in that academy. No, I'm just here to watch the sparks fly. I come here around the same time each year, to watch the new initiates prove themselves to become hunters. Sometimes, I help 'em out. You never know who could use a helping hand. Old Oz doesn't know about me, though, so if you want my help, keep your lips sealed. Think of me as a ghost in this forest, helping you guys when you really need it, and disappearing once it's over with."

 **Nyter nods his head in compliance with Marcus's request.**

[N] Galer? Rodger?

 **No response.**

[N] That's not good.

[N] "If Ozpin doesn't know about you, how did you drag me here without him noticing?"

[M] "I've got my tools of trade. He can't keep an eye on all students at once. Besides, you landed on a patch of ground that was completely obscured by the treetops. I just had to follow the obscuring path to make sure Oz didn't see me."

[N] "How am I supposed to get around like this?"

[M] "I was hoping you'd say that. Stay right there. Not that you could move either way."

 **Nyter watches Marcus disappear into a small cabin. Looking up, he can see the sky obscured by tree foliage. No chance Ozpin can see through this. Nyter has no idea how far he is away from the training grounds, or if he's even still there. The absence of Galer and Rodger is upsetting Nyter, though he can still feel their auras. It feels as though they are dormant, asleep. This has never happened before, as far as Nyter can remember. He attempts to once again move his leg, which prompts an agonizing moan. He is definitely able to move it, but not without its fair share of pain. Thinking of his next move, Nyter watches as Marcus comes out of the cabin with large struts of metal.**

[M] "Now I should warn you, this has a steep learning curve. I used it myself way before I got this metal leg. Think of it as an enhancement. I'm sure you'll get used to it."

 **Marcus places the pieces of metal in front of him and begins to assemble the parts into something akin to a leg brace.**

[M] "There's really only one problem with this. And that's fixing this thing on your leg without hurtin' you. I'm not gonna sugarcoat it, it's gonna hurt like hell. But you get a fully functional leg again! That's a good tradeoff, right?"

 **Nyter nods.**

[M] "You sure aren't one for conversation are ya? Few more fixins and we'll get you souped right up."

 **Nyter's skepticism of the effectiveness of that contraption increases as Marcus finishes the touches. Complex indeed, with several joints fashioned from steel bolts and metal fixtures, but Nyter couldn't help but ask himself how that thing was supposed to help him walk with a fractured leg.**

[M] "Now I bet you're wondering, 'how the hell is this thing supposed to help me walk with a broken leg?' Well, it's a simple thing known as pressure displacement. This little thing here takes 100% of the pressure from standing on your left leg and completely distributes it across the frame and part of your body, all while perfectly maintaining your center of balance. You might also be wondering, 'why the hell is this gun-totin', cowboy-lookin' metal guy givin' me this metal exoskeleton?" Well, to be honest with you, I wanna see someone else try to use it and give me feedback on how to improve it. What better way to do that than with someone who has a fractured leg? If it works completely how it's supposed to, then you won't feel any pain at all since no pressure is being directed on your leg. It may sting a bit when you bend your knee, but that's just because of your jointed ligaments. It won't impede your healing one bit."

 **Nyter is completely confused as to why this whole situation has ended up like this. One second he's flying through the air pumping his legs with aura, and the next second he's waking up to a cowboy touching his forehead with a metal hand. He is grateful for the gift, but there's one question Nyter has left.**

[N] "What if Ozpin questions me about it? What do I say?"

 **The expression on Marcus's face distorted. It went from excited to a deep frown.**

[M] "I… I didn't think… Well, damn. I didn't think about that. Well, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it!"

 **Marcus resumed working on the metal fixture with a renewed smile on his face, eyes just as wide as before.**

[N] Right… This man is very strange. But I somehow feel a liking to him already. What do you think, Rodger?

 **Once again, there is no response from either Rodger or Galer.**

[N] Oh yeah. You guys are asleep. I guess. At least I can still feel you. I don't know if you can hear me, but I'd appreciate it if you could come back. I never realized how awkward it is being alone with someone else until now. I mean, at least I can talk to myself. But what good is that? It keeps my mind occupied at least.

[M] "Aha! Finished! There we go. It's been a while since I assembled this thing. Now, I'm gonna let you use it… With a catch."

[N] "What is it?"

[M] "You have to let me saw your leg off and give you a bionic one."

 **Marcus's face is devoid of any emotion as he finishes his statement. His stone face and tone surprised Nyter, almost as much as the request alone.**

[N] "Uhh… I don't think I want…"

[M] "Gotcha! Man, you shoulda seen the look on your face. Priceless. This is what I live for. Anyway, here you go. Oh, you probably need my help putting it on, what with a broken leg and everything… Yeah."

 **Nyter exhaled a sigh of relief and carefully stood up, putting all his weight on his right leg. The pain from moving his injured leg hurt enormously and caused him to sharply inhale through gritted teeth. Marcus helped him stand, and led him to a tree that he could lean on while the exoskeleton was being attached. After Nyter comfortably positioned himself against the tree, Marcus carefully lifted his left leg about 25 degrees from the ground. Using his other free hand, he slid the metal frame over the leg, swiftly attaching it in one fluid motion. The pain wasn't extremely intense this time around since Nyter wasn't moving any of his muscles or joints. Marcus adjusted a few straps to Nyter's leg, as well as sliding his foot into the metal cone to keep it in place. It wasn't the most comfortable experience for Nyter, but at least it was better than trying to continue an exercise with a broken leg.**

[M] "Now this likely won't impede the time it would take to heal your leg, since you're not relying on the leg, but rather the frame. That being said, there's a chance it could just not work, and make the leg even worse. But that's what invention is all about! Trial and error. Now, I want you to try to walk."

 **Nyter attempted to shift his weight on his left leg. The brace appeared to be working, as he felt no pain, just a bit of discomfort from the small movement of ligaments. Moving carefully, he attempted to lift the leg from the ground in order to take a step forward. There was a small sting, but he was otherwise successful. Then, Nyter finally placed his foot back on the ground, completing his first step. As this occurred, he buckled under the weight, feeling a sensation of crippling pain, albeit not as bad as when he previously attempted to move his leg.**

[N] "It doesn't seem to be working too well," **Nyter stated with gritted teeth.**

[M] "That's not very good. Maybe a few components are missing… Perhaps you're not using it, right? Stay right there. I'll go fetch some more pieces."

[N] "Listen, I appreciate everything you're doing, but I think I can handle this on my own. I've had worse than a broken leg on the field. Don't worry about me. I'll come up with some solution."

[M] "Well, I can't stop you from being stupid. Farewell! Don't push your leg too much, it's just a hairline fracture but don't take that too lightly. You should probably just go back to Ozpin, I'm sure he'll spot you if you wave your hands high enough in his general direction."

[N] "Got it. I'll… see you later? Not sure how to conclude this meeting."

[M] "Why do I always end up saving the socially awkward ones? Oh well. To get back to the training grounds, just follow the one path with no underbrush. It's not too far, and I'd say we've only been here for around 5 minutes in total. Good luck!"

 **Marcus bids Nyter adieu and extinguishes the fire below the cooking spit. One final wave is given before he opens the door to his cabin and closes it. Nyter takes the canteen from his waist and carefully fills it with water from the spit. Placing the canteen on his belt to let it cool, he paces a bit to get used to his new brace. Flexing the muscles in his calf, he suddenly realizes that his leg pain has decreased again.**

[N] There's _no way_ my leg is healing that quickly.

 **Testing his discovery, Nyter attempts to stand up. Leaning his weight on his right leg, he carefully places down his left leg. The pain is intense, but it's now bearable for at least a limp. And so, Nyter limped. After a few more steps, the pain was noticeably lessened.**

[N] Are you _kidding me?_ How is this even possible? My aura has never healed my body that quickly. Speaking of aura… It seems like I just used the last of it because of this leg. It's been awhile since I've used it all up. I guess Ozpin was right.

 **Realizing that he's not taking a liking to the brace, Nyter loosens the straps and slips his leg out of it. He takes the knife from his right boot and equips it to his left hand. He then grabbed the brace and placed it against the rocks next to the spit.**

[N] I'm not a fan of one-edged knives. Makes it difficult for a reverse-grip. I'll have to manage with a forward grip.

 **The more distance Nyter covered, the less intense his pain became. After traveling the small path that was described, he came up to a rather large bush. Peering through the leaves, Nyter noticed Weiss strutting to the right.**

[N] Oh god, not her. Anyone but her. Can't let her see me. Wait, is that… Jaune? Hanging from the tree?

 **Jaune is spotted to the left of Nyter's vision, suspended by what appears to be a spear embedded into a large tree. Nyter decides he should help Jaune out, as Weiss appears to be leaving. Before Nyter can crawl through the other side of the bush, Pyrrha is seen speaking to Jaune about any spots on his team. Fully out of the brush, Nyter is seen by both Pyrrha and Jaune.**

[N] "Hey, guys. No teammate for me yet. Bummer. You gonna… help him?"

 **Nyter gestures to Jaune suspended by Pyrrha's spear. He hears Ruby in the distance, around the same area where Weiss left.**

[P] "Oh yes, of course! My apologies, Jaune."

[J] "I'll have you know, Nyter, that this was all according to plan. In fact, this was my landing strategy all along. I knew Pyrrha couldn't let me fall to my death."

[N] "You know, true story or not, you can't rely on strangers to save you from impending doom."

[N] Ironic for me to say that, considering I was just helped by a complete stranger in the woods.

[N] "But I suppose we all get incredibly lucky sometimes. I'm gonna go on my own for a bit, scout out the area. You two can get acquainted. Farewell."

 **Nyter walks to the general vicinity where Weiss headed, in order to find Ruby. He believes that perhaps Weiss and Ruby haven't made eye contact yet. Walking around, Nyter notices that the area is growing darker, as more treetops are covering the sunlight above. More underbrush is scattered around as Nyter heads deeper to where Weiss left. Weiss is finally heard a few feet ahead of Nyter.**

[W] "Ruby…?"

 **Nyter spots an Ursa coming out of the brush next to Weiss, roaring in the air. Nyter decides to take action, revealing himself. Recognizing he still has to limp, he tries his best to not put too much weight on his left leg. Nyter distanced himself between Weiss and the Ursa, attempting to create space for her.**

[N] "Weiss, I sure hope you're as good at fighting as you are at complaining. Don't let me down. Now, let's dance!"

 **Quickly grabbing his gold dust pouch, he rubs a bit of it onto his blade. The knife begins to radiate with electricity, protecting Nyter's hand through the rubbered hilt. Looking around, Nyter notices a lot more than just the Ursa approaching. Four beowolves emerged from the underbrush, prowling towards both Nyter and Weiss.**

[N] "Well, this isn't good. Gimme some space for this Ursa by attracting those beowolves. I'll handle him as long as I can do it without his buddies beside him."

[W] "What, you think I can't handle a single Ursa?!"

[N] "Weiss, just do it! I'm a bit disabled right now, and I can't really handle fast opponents. Big and slow is easy for me right now. The best combat placement is you taking the heat off me while I focus on the Ursa."

[W] "If you say so!"

 **Weiss is heard propelling towards the beowolves, attracting their attention. Nyter grabs a throwing knife from his chest pocket and hurls it towards the Ursa. Before it can connect, Ruby is seen flashing towards the Ursa as well, right in front of the knife's path.**

[N] "Ruby, look out!"

[Ru] "Huh?"

 **Ruby turns, and instinctively blocks the knife, but is batted by the Ursa, knocking her into Nyter.**

[N] "Where the hell did you even come from?!"

[Ru] "I was gonna take down the Ursa until you tried to hit it with a puny knife!"

[N] "Let's just take it down together, okay? I might need some help anyway. You go frontal, I'll look for an opening and jam the knife in his skull."

[Ru] "Sounds like a plan."

 **Ruby closes in with lightning speed, bashing her target with hefty force. The Ursa seems stunned for a moment, which prompts Nyter to follow up. Using mostly his left leg, he propels himself forward with two quick dashes, going in for an icepick stab. He jams his right palm against the bottom of the hilt as he jabs with his left hand, propelling the knife into the Ursa's skull plate. Turning around to assess the beowolf situation, he notices that Weiss has taken care of the problem for the most part. Ruby rushes in to kill the last couple of beowolves, urging a praise from Nyter. Weiss stops to catch her breath, leaning her hands on her knees. Nyter takes his knife out of the Ursa's skull and watches as it disintegrates. The electricity is gone, prompting Nyter to sheathe the blade in his boot.**

[N] "Very good everyone, especially you, Weiss. Thank you for listening to my orders, the plan went swimmingly."

[W] "Are you _kidding_ me? We could have died! And what the hell are you doing fighting while you're disabled? What do you even mean by that? Not to mention almost impaling Ruby with a knife! What were you thinking?!"

[N] "I must admit, tackling an Ursa and a pack of beowolves wasn't necessarily the best option. However, I trusted in your combat ability and believed that you could hold your own while I attempted to tackle the Ursa. I can't die easily, even when disabled, so I figured we'd give fighting a shot. There's nothing I hate more than fleeing a battle. Besides, the only thing that's wrong is that my leg is fractured. And I don't think I have any aura left."

[W] "I have _never_ met more of an imbecile than you in this moment! You thought you could take down an Ursa by yourself with a fractured leg _and_ a lack of aura?! Unbelievable! You're such a dolt!"

[N] "Is berating people your way of showing concern?"

[W] "Concern? For someone like you?! Are you implying that I cared for your safety?"

[N] "By the looks of it, yeah. You might be one of those 'tsundere' types."

[W] "One of those _what?"_

[N] "Ah, forget it. Ruby!"

 **Ruby turns towards Nyter with gleaming eyes, awaiting praise.**

[N] "Why the hell did you run right in front of my knife? Pretty stupid move for something so flashy."

[Ru] "What! What do you even mean! She insults you and gets more praise than the one who helped you take down the Ursa?!"

[N] "Don't get me wrong, you excelled in hitting that sweet-spot to stun the Ursa. But I didn't even know you were in the vicinity. If I knew you were here, I would have rethought our plan to make sure Weiss wasn't handling all those beowolves alone. You helping me was a split-second decision. It would have been better to make yourself known rather than flashing into battle suddenly. Communication is key. Either way, you did good after that mistake. Thank you for your help. In hindsight, I'm not sure I could have actually taken down that Ursa. I was banking on stalling it long enough for Weiss to take down the beowolves and then getting her to help me. All in all, I give this battle a B-Plus!"

[W\Ru] "B-Plus?" **Questioned Ruby and Weiss simultaneously.**

[N] "Yes ma'ams. I give grades to individuals and battles, based on how well they perform. In our case, I took off points for me rushing into battle with a debilitating injury plus no aura, and for you lacking communication during the fight. In fact, it would have been a C-Plus, but we got out with little to no injuries, save for you getting batted into me by the Ursa. Good block, though."

[W] "You're such a weirdo. You make me glad that Ruby ended up being my partner instead of you."

[N] "Yeah, yeah. Anyway, we need to leave ASAP. We're at a severe disadvantage in dim light, since the Grimm's senses are heightened. In fact, I should probably take off more points for choosing to fight in such a disadvantaged state."

 **Nyter begins to hear a voice in the back of his mind, ever so faintly.**

[G] The… Rose… Nyter, the rose…!

[N] Huh? Rose?

 **Looking over at Ruby, Nyter views the rose placed in her hair. It's radiating a very deep black, but still retains its silver petals.**

[N] "Hey Ruby, mind if I see that rose for a sec?"

[Ru] "Uh, sure."

 **Ruby grasps the rose and gently hands it to Nyter. As soon as it meets Nyter's touch, it dissipates, seemingly traveling inside of him. He feels completely invigorated.**

[G] Finally!

[R] I knew you'd get to him soon enough. Hooray for Galer!

[N] What the hell just happened?

[G] Nyter, that rose you made became a proxy for your aura. I don't know how you did it, but you were channeling your aura inside that rose rather than your body.

[N] I see… I must have subconsciously been remotely placing aura in that rose. I didn't even know that was possible.

[G] Aura acts in ways we still don't understand. Just don't make that mistake again. In case you've forgotten, we can't speak to you or even help you when your aura is down. That's the only way we communicate. Also, how did your leg heal without aura?

[N] I'm also asking the same question. It's very strange. The pain is almost non-existent at this point; it feels like I only strained my leg.

[Ru] "Nyter, you're… Smoking!"

 **Snapping back to reality, Nyter retaliates to Ruby's observation.**

[N] "Well, that's pretty forward. I wouldn't say I'm not attractive, but I'm certainly not _that_ good looking."

[Ru] "No, you're literally _smoking!"_

[N] "Oh. It appears I am."

 **Looking down at his arms, Nyter observes smoke leaving his skin in a thin trail, traveling in small wisps before dissipating in the air soon after appearing.**

[N] Man, this hasn't happened in a _while._

[R] Sure takes you back, doesn't it?

[N] Definitely.

[Ru] "Are you okay?!"

[N] "Yeah, this is normal. Sometimes I just have too much aura, and if I keep it all inside, I explode. So it kinda just… Leaves. Like this. Makes it hard to sneak around like this, though."

[W/Ru] "You'll explode?!" **Exclaimed Ruby and Weiss, in unison once again.**

[N] "Yup. Whole body. Just explodes."

[Ru] "That's… Awesome!"

[N] "Haha, yeah, I guess so. It only works once though, since, ya know, I die after exploding, so the cool factor kinda runs out after the first time."

[Ru] "What about the rose? What happened to it?"

[N] "I can explain that part later. Too many details."

[W] "Are we going to leave or not?! We need to get moving!"

[N] "Good idea, Weiss. You'll be our point-man. Woman. Point-woman."

[W] "Whatever. Let's go."

[N] "After you."

[W] "Do you always have to have the last word?"

[N] "Only when speaking to someone who wants to have the last word."

[W] "Don't be so childish!"

[N] "Don't be so demeaning."

[W] "Are we going to go or not?!"

[N] "That's up to you, you're the point-woman."

[W] "Why is it up to me?"

[N] "I designated you as leader. Leader decides where to go. Simple."

[W] "Do _you_ know where to go?"

[N] "Of course."

[W] "Then let's follow you!"

[N] "I'm not the point-man."

[W] "Ugh! Come on, Ruby."

[N] "I'll be tagging along."

[W] "As long as you shut up."

[N] "Can do."

 **Ruby is heard snickering softly.**

[R] On a scale of 1-10, how much fun are you having?

[N] I'd say about 9.

[R] Feels good. We never get to have fun. Especially Galer. But that's just because he's sour.

[G] I'm not sour. I just don't find enjoyment in teasing people.

[N] Teasing people gives them an opportunity to learn from their mistakes.

[G] You can justify it however you want to, it's just not my cup of tea.

[N] Understandable.

[R] Still sour.

 **Nyter, Weiss, and Ruby made their way through the Emerald Forest, led by Weiss's leadership. Nyter noticed Weiss having trouble navigating the difficult terrain, constantly stumbling over rocks and inclines.**

[N] "First time in the wild, princess? You seem to be having trouble."

[W] "It is _not_ my first time in the wilderness, thank you very much. It's just difficult to walk in this kind of environment with heels."

[N] "Then why do you wear them? Don't they slow you down?"

[W] "Listen, _Nyter_ , I don't question on you on your choice of hideous attire, so don't question mine."

[N] "Me-ow. You're quite feisty. Do you know where you're going?"

[W] "Of course I know where we're going!"

[N] "Then why did we just pass the same tree that was here 5 minutes ago?"

[W] "What?! How can you tell that?"

[N] "That tree in particular has thirteen large branches. The rest of them only have around ten or eleven."

[W] "Are you kidding me? What a weirdo!"

 **Nyter glances at Ruby, who seems to be stewing with something, fiddling with her fingers.**

[N] "If we're going to get somewhere, at least point us in the right direction. Do you know exactly where we're supposed to be headed?"

[W] "Uh… North, right?"

[N] "Correct. Do you know where North is right now?"

[W] "It's definitely this way."

 **Weiss changes course to the south-east edge of the forest. Looking back at Nyter for confirmation, he gives a small shake of his head.**

[W] " I mean… This way. It's _definitely_ this way."

 **Glancing back once more, she watches as Nyter exhales an exasperated sigh. Ruby** **decides to pipe up from her silence to voice her concern.**

[Ru] "Why can't you just admit that you have no idea where we're going?"

[W] "Because I know _exactly_ where we're going."

[N] "You've said that approximately three times now, and all three times were horrendously incorrect."

[W] "Listen, we're going… To… The Forest Temple!"

[Ru] "Ugh."

[W] "Oh, stop it! You don't know where we are, either."

[Ru] "Why don't you just ask Nyter for help? He obviously has more of a clue than you do! At least I'm not pretending like I know everything!"

[W] "What is _that_ supposed to mean?!"

[Ru] "It means you're a big, stupid jerk and I hate you!"

[W] "Ugh! Just keep moving."

 **Ruby begins to mock and imitate Weiss in a demeaning fashion.**

[Ru] "' _Oh, just keep moving! Hurry up, wahh, watch where you're going!'_ Why are you so bossy?"

[W] "I'm not bossy! Don't say things like that!"

 **Weiss began to move towards Ruby with fierce aggression.**

[R] Should we intervene?

[N] … Naaaaaah.

[G] Are you sure? This might get ugly.

[N] Hmmm… Naaaaahh. Not yet.

[Ru] "Stop treating me like a kid!"

[W] "Stop _acting_ like one!"

[Ru] "Well stop acting like you're perfect!"

[W] "I'm. Not. Perfect. Not yet."

[N] Oh _hell_ no.

[W] "But I'm still leagues better than you."

 **Weiss returned to her directionless search towards the relics. Ruby, crestfallen, replies with one last statement.**

[Ru] "You don't even know me…"

 **Nyter, feeling a rare case of sympathy, places his right hand on the top of Ruby's head. He decides to leave some comforting words.**

[N] "Listen, Ruby. I know how it feels to deal with difficult people. But keep in mind, we're trying to work together right now. Weiss just doesn't know how to properly express herself to us. Not to mention her low tolerance for a life unpampered. Let me talk to her."

 **Nyter begins to walk quickly towards Weiss and places a hand on her shoulder.**

[N] "Weiss, stop."

[W] "What, you're on _her_ side now?"

[N] "I don't play sides, but you're out of line. You're great in combat, but your teamwork needs massive improvement. You and Ruby are _partners,_ Weiss. You can't treat her like someone lesser than you. You're both equals. A partnership requires both people to boost each other up to reach new heights, not tear each other down."

[W] "She started it!"

[N] "The tension was already there to begin with, Weiss. I could cut it with a butter knife. I just want you to realize that what you said wasn't okay. It really hurt Ruby. You can't expect your teammate to respect you if you don't respect them. I want you to apologize."

[W] "I suppose I was a little harsh, but it was warranted. She called me bossy."

[N] "Look, I know you two got off on a really bad foot, but all I'm asking is that you apologize to her and start over, okay? That way, we can focus on getting to our destination without any unnecessary tension. Please?"

[W] "Fine."

 **Weiss turned to face Ruby, who was watching the conversation with wide eyes.**

[W] "Ruby, I'm sorry. I just-"

[N] "Ah ah ah. No justifications. Just the apology is fine."

[W] "Alright, I'm sorry."

[Ru] "I'm sorry for calling you bossy. And mocking you."

 **Ruby turned to Nyter, giving him a soft smile, to which he reciprocated.**

[N] "See? Wasn't that heartwarming? Now, back to the task at hand. Weiss, you're being moved to the back. Ruby and I will take point."

[W] "What? I thought I was leading the way?"

[N] "I've tested your skills as a leader, and now I'm going to evaluate you as a subordinate. Not to say you're in a lesser position, you just have to follow my orders and my lead now."

[W] "Who says you get to be leader?"

[N] "Anyone in favor of having Nyter be the new point-man, say aye."

[Ru] "Aye!"

[R] Aye!

[N] Very funny.

[N] "My vote counts too, so that's a 2-1. Now, let's get going. North is this way."

[W] "As long as you know where you're going."

[R] You sure handled that like a professional, didn't you? Since when did you get so good at talking to people?

[G] I must say, I'm also impressed. You handled that very effectively.

[N] If there's one thing I know about social interactions, it's how to cooperate with efficiency. You can't have a malfunctioning team. Volatile reactions and harsh words get in the way of performing with excellence. You remember what happened with Qrow, don't you?

[G] Normally _we're_ the ones reminding you about stuff. Yeah, I remember. Can't believe you actually learned something from that.

[N] Me neither.

[N] "Is everyone ready?"

[Ru] "Wait… Didn't you have a rifle, Nyter?"

[N] "Hmmm… It appears I lost it after I crashed. I'll find it eventually. Right now we should just focus on the relics. In fact, I think the relics are in the same direction where I lost my rifle. Maybe we'll come across it. Let's get moving."

 **As Nyter and Ruby began to trek forward, he realized a very crucial detail. They were very,** _ **very**_ **far behind.**

[N] "Guys, I don't think this is gonna work. Who knows how long it will take us to reach the far North end of this forest? We've backtracked so much and lost so much time that we're probably the _furthest_ group from the goal."

[W] "Well, what do you suggest we do? Fly there?" **Weiss scoffed.**

[N] "Not a bad idea, Weiss. I knew I could count on you."

[W] "W-what? I was joking!"

[N] "Yes, but sometimes jokes can become a reality. Look ahead of us."

 **Peering ahead, the group spies a Nevermore stalking along the surface of a small clearing, away from the treeline. The Nevermore is a creature of Grimm, raven-like in appearance, only several leagues larger. One Nevermore is easily identifiable by its size alone, towering over the bear-like Ursas. Nyter pulls both Weiss and Ruby up close, forming a small circle.**

[N] "Ruby, you up for this?"

[Ru] "Of course!"

[N] "Weiss?"

[W] "If you're suggesting we ride a Nevermore to the other end of this forest, you really are as stupid as I thought you were."

[N] "Would you believe me if I said I had experience piloting a Nevermore?"

[W] "Absolutely not."

[N] "Look, it's our best shot, Weiss. We're already so far behind. This'll put us up to speed in no time. Besides, I have my aura back, and my leg feels better. Do you have a better idea?"

[W] "If we die, I'm blaming it all on you."

[N] "Glad to hear it. Now, here's the plan. Ruby, I'm gonna need you to act as bait to turn it away from both me and Weiss. Once its back is turned, I can use my aura to soften my footsteps and grasp a hold of it, while Weiss can use her runes to leap on it from behind. It'll probably begin to take off as soon as it feels me and Weiss on its back, so you're gonna have to be quick about leaping on to grab ahold as well. Sound good?"

[W] "I guess there are worse plans in existence."

[Ru] "I gotcha!"

[N] "Alright, good. On the count of three, you travel into its line of sight and perform a clockwise 180 around its right side, then as soon as its vision is locked onto you and out of our line of sight, Weiss and I will leap into action. Try not to bait it into flying, keep your distance. Wait, one more thing. Look what I found."

[N] Galer, materialize your rifle to the left side of this oak. It's out of their field of vision. Quickly.

[G] Got it.

 **Nyter grabs an object from behind one of the oaks, bringing it into Ruby and Weiss's sight. It happens to be the rifle, full scope and strap.**

[Ru] "What a coincidence!"

[N] "Right? Okay, one… Two… Three!"

 **Ruby dashes into the clearing, vanishing from the treeline. She reappears suddenly directly in the Nevermore's line of sight, prompting a screech from it. She fires one bullet and strafes clockwise around to its right side, catching its attention the entire time. Nyter fashions the strap of his rifle across his chest, bringing it around to his back. Channeling his excess aura into his legs, he created a soft shell around the external area of his feet. This pocket of aura acted as a vacuum, negating sound created from collisions, such as sprinting or running. Turning towards Weiss, Nyter gestured for her to begin her runes as he sprinted towards the turned Nevermore. He leapt towards the back of the Nevermore, latching onto its tough feathers, and heard it screech once more in response to this foreign stimulus. Weiss also latched onto the feathers, prompting the creature to begin flight. Ruby loaded in a gravity clip and made a leap towards the talons, successfully discharging a bullet and gaining sufficient altitude. The three members were now soaring through the sky on the back of a Nevermore, rapidly gaining speed. Thankfully, the Nevermore took flight North. Weiss struggled to keep a grip on the feather and began to voice her concern.**

[W] "Nyter! I told you this was a terrible idea!"

 **Ruby decided to jut in, responding to the statement.**

[Ru] "We're fine! Stop worrying!"

[W] "I am _so_ far beyond worrying!"

[N] "Look, we're already approaching the ruins! There's everyone below!"

[Ru] "Why don't we just jump!"

[W] "What are you, insane?!"

 **As Weiss finished her question, Ruby was seen plummeting towards the ground.**

[W] "Oh, you insufferable little red-!"

[N] "Alright, Weiss! You're next!"

[W] "Why am I stuck with two insane people! I'm not jumping from this height!"

[N] "Come on, you got this! Landing strategy!"

 **Making sure Ruby lands without injury, Nyter glanced back towards the ground. He spotted Jaune traveling in an arc perpendicular to Ruby's ungraceful fall.**

[N] "Is that Jaune?!"

[W] "What is happening?!"

 **Jaune collided with Ruby in mid-air, sending them flying westward into the treetops. Thankfully, neither of them were injured, and Ruby brushed herself off from the top of a large branch.**

[N] "There's a Death Stalker down there! Look!"

 **As Nyter gestured towards the Death Stalker on the north-east side of the temple, he also noticed Ren and Nora coming through the north-west end on a fairly large Ursa.**

[N] "Haha! They also hitched a ride on a Grimm! What lunatics!"

[W] " _They're_ the lunatics?! Ah, I'm slipping!"

[N] "Just fall, you got this!"

 **By now, the Death Stalker had broken through the treeline, emerging through the trunks while chasing after Pyrrha. It was modeled after a scorpion, except much larger, taking up several lengths of trees in the forest. It easily chopped through the remaining oaks, making quick work of distancing itself towards its prey. Ruby is seen meeting up with Yang, Blake, and Nora, who all took relics by now. Nyter began to look around for a vantage point he could safely dismount the Nevermore from. North of the relics, he spotted a large spire made of stone, amidst several stone platforms hundreds of feet high. The platforms were suspended by crumbling columns, hopelessly unstable.**

[N] "Make sure you grab a relic for me! I'm gonna stay on this thing's back and try to lure it to that spire near those ruins! I can get a good sniper position there!"

[W] "You're absolutely insane!"

 **Nyter noticed Weiss's grip fail, sending her flying towards the talon of the Nevermore, grasping it firmly to prevent her fall. Weiss screamed down at Ruby.**

[W] "How could you leave me?!"

 **By this time, Weiss's grip had finally ceased, and she began plummeting towards the surface. Jaune ended up leaping from the treetop to grab her as she was falling, but failed to realize he had nothing to land on. As they fell, Jaune resulted in being the cushion that broke her fall. Nyter tightened his grip and began moving towards the Nevermore's right wing. Keeping a steady handhold on the feathers, he managed to climb to the base of its wing. He decided to pull on one of the feathers attached to the base, which prompted a screech and caused the Nevermore's flight path to shift right. Using this to his advantage, Nyter began steering the Nevermore towards the large concrete struts. Looking down, he spotted the Death Stalker batting Ruby several feet away.**

[N] What the hell is she doing, taking on a Death Stalker all by herself?!

 **After too much pain, the Nevermore began ejecting feathers towards the ground in an effort to both shake Nyter off and target the prey below. The feathers impaled the grass, and one managed to go through Ruby's cloak, pinning her down in front of the Death Stalker.**

[N] _Shit!_

 **As the Death Stalker reared its stinger to strike at Ruby, Weiss zoomed in to deflect the blow with a split-second ice rune, effectively saving Ruby's life. Nyter let out a sigh of relief and silently praised Weiss for her quick thinking. Grabbing hold of the feathers once again, he began patiently steering the Nevermore in his preferred direction. However, he began to notice that the team members were no longer interested in the Grimm.**

[N] Don't tell me they're just gonna let these creatures go! What kind of hunters are these people? Never stray away from a fight! I'll have to land and deal with it myself, I suppose. Good for me, since I can actually use my arsenal that way.

 **Steering towards the spire, the Nevermore perched atop the centerpiece and let out one final screech. Taking this advantage, Nyter jumped from its back and down onto the top of the spire. The Nevermore took flight once again, circling around the ruins. Nyter loaded up his bipod and began to take aim. Looking through his scope, he could see the rest of the team making their way towards the ruins.**

[N] Perhaps they _are_ going to fight after all. Good.

 **Nyter, trying to gain a clear shot, watched as the Death Stalker broke through the treeline again in pursuit of the team. All the team members rushed to the bridge connected to the bottom of the spire, which spanned hundreds of feet above the bottom of the cliffs. The Nevermore circled around towards the bridge, planning to ram into it.**

[N] Damn… They wouldn't be able to hear me if I yelled, I'm too high up. Maybe I could give a warning shot? Galer, give me polymer shot.

[G] Gotcha.

 **Galer formed a polymer-shell bullet with his aura, set to shatter on impact. Nyter aimed down his sights at the eight team members sprinting across the bridge and shot the bullet in the middle between the first set of four and the second set. It successfully surprised the four behind Ruby, Weiss, Yang, and Blake, and gave them an incentive to back away. The Nevermore rammed into the bridge, severing it and launching the party into two groups: Ren, Blake, and Pyrrha on the cliffside with the Death Stalker, and Jaune, Ruby, Yang, Nora, and Weiss on the side nearest Nyter. Jaune and Nora seem to be attempting to jump to the other side with the Death Stalker, while the rest of the group focused on the Nevermore with long-ranged attacks. Yang fired explosive bullets from her gauntlets, Ruby fired high-impact sniper rounds, and Weiss was using her rapier to summon blue wisps to seek out the Nevermore. Nora slammed her warhammer on the bridge, creating a slingshot collision which catapulted Jaune over to the other side, along with herself.**

[N] Galer, quickly! Armor-piercing rounds!

[G] Ready.

 **Scoping in, Nyter focused his crosshair on the weakest point of the scorpion's stinger, right on the base of the knuckle.**

[N] I can't make that shot. It's too far away.

[G] Give me that, already.

 **Galer materialized himself, draining much of Nyter's energy. However, due to his influx of aura, he was able to maintain the heavy energy usage. He took the rifle away from Nyter and carefully aimed at the target. In just a few seconds, he fired the bullet, successfully severing the stinger and lodging the tip into its own skull. Galer looked up and handed back the rifle, retreating back into his intangible form.**

[G] Rookie.

[N] Yeah yeah yeah.

 **As Nora landed on the other side, she accidentally collided with Blake, sending her flying off the edge of the bridge.**

[N] What is up with these people and colliding into each other?

 **While Blake was free-falling, she used her weapon's momentum to slingshot herself across the canyon, with use of the ribbon attached to her arm. Embedding the pistol into the side of the concrete spire, she whipped around to the underside of the bridge, coming up into the air with the increased momentum. She let go of the ribbon, allowing her weight to propel towards the flying Nevermore. Using her sheath, she unleashed a flurry of blows against the Nevermore, which had no damaging effect. After scaling across the back of the Nevermore, she jumped away from its body and onto a crumbling concrete structure. Blake managed to leap back down safely and retrieve her weaponry. She joined the other three members, Ruby, Weiss, and Yang, and unleashed another flurry of long-ranged blows towards the Nevermore. Agitated, it swung around to the direction of the oncoming fire, and set its path to bash into the concrete spire.**

[N] Oh dear. This isn't good. It's coming for the supports!

 **The Nevermore's right wing cleaved the columns supporting the top of the spire, sending the entire structure crumbling towards the bottom of the canyon. Nyter, quickly attempting to come up with a backup plan, decided to once again leap onto the back of the Nevermore. Pumping the last bit of his aura into his legs, he performed a massive dash towards the Nevermore's wing, successfully latching onto its feathers. Leaning backward, Nyter viewed Nora as she slammed the end of her hammer onto the back of the Death Stalker's stinger, finally killing it in one final blow. The team was sent flying onto the other side of the cliff through the sheer force of Nora's strike. They rested on the ground briefly, catching their breath.**

[N] Well, I'm on the back of a Nevermore, once again piloting it through a ludicrous means of flight. Any ideas, gentlemen?

[R] Try to climb up to its head and stab it?

[N] A bit simple, but it might work. I need something with very high piercing potential. Can someone fetch me the manual on rapiers?

[G] I don't think we have one of those.

[N] Damn. It was worth a shot.

[G] Wait, we have one for dueling daggers. They're basically dirks.

[N] Send me the info, and I'll make it.

 **Galer began feeding the specific information to Nyter, who took a few seconds to take it in and get the measurements right. Finally reciting the correct formula, he was able to pull the dirk from his mind and manifested it through his aura. As he opened his eyes, he saw Yang shooting into the Nevermore's mouth with more explosive rounds, shouting at it in-between shots.**

[Y] "I… Hope… You're… Hungry!"

 **Nyter began trekking towards the skull of the Nevermore, carefully avoiding any stray bullets of Yang's. After several shots, Yang leaps away from the beak and back onto solid ground. Nyter braces for impact as the Nevermore is stunned by the barrage and slams into the cliffside, landing on a concrete platform. Still making the climb for the head, he manages to reach the base of the skull plate. He watches as Weiss pins the Nevermore in place through another well-placed ice rune, keeping it from flying off. Unable to use his dirk due to the Nevermore wildly turning and screeching, Nyter decides to just hold on for now, and wait for it to calm down. However, he instead spots Ruby jumping in-between two columns, suspending herself with Blake's ribbon and Weiss's gravity rune. She loads in another gravity clip and nods her head.**

[N] She's going to literally slingshot herself towards this Nevermore. Oh dear.

[R] You're going to die.

[G] Who comes up with these plans?

 **Nyter holds on for dear life as Ruby is catapulted to the Nevermore, discharging her gravity ammunition for extra momentum. Her scythe is extended to allow a grip on its neck, and she successfully hooks the blade underneath the beak. Slamming against the side of the cliff face, she travels up the side with help of Weiss's runes. Nyter tries to hold on as tight as possible, avoiding the arc of the scythe as Ruby finishes atop the cliffside with a final decapitation. The severed head, which Nyter was clinging to, barrels towards the ground with a heavy thud. Nyter begins to shudder, recounting his near death experience and new exposure to fear.**

[N] "Oh my god. I've never been more scared for my life than in that moment. I guess now I can say I saw a 15-year-old girl decapitate a Nevermore. Nonetheless…"

 **Ruby looks at Nyter, awaiting his input.**

[N] "That was pretty amazing. Job well done, Ruby. I give this fight an A."

[Ru] "Phew… I thought you were gonna get mad since I almost cut you in half or something."

[N] "And if you _did_ cut me in half?"

[Ru] "Uh…"

[N] "Let's just be thankful you didn't. Good accuracy. But for the sake of everything that is holy, don't put my life on the line like that again. I thought I was gonna die. Really, I had never felt fear of death until that moment. Congrats, you made me fear death."

[Ru] "Whoopsies…"

[N] "Let's join the others, shall we?"

 **Ruby nods in agreement, sheathing her scythe. Nyter places his right hand against the back of his head, rubbing his hair.**

[N] "I was kinda useless during that whole fight, huh? I'm not used to fighting Grimm, to be totally honest. Sure, I know a ton about them, but I'm not the best at fighting them."

[Ru] "Why not? You seemed to know a lot when we were in the forest. I thought you were some kinda special agent or something."

[N] "Well, while it's true that I may have a bit more combat expertise than everyone here, it's not really the Grimm that I'm used to fighting."

[Ru] "What are you used to fighting, then?"

[N] "Demons."

[Ru] "Demons…?"

[N] "Let's save that conversation for after the ceremony. I'm tired and I have a headache, recalling stuff hurts my brain. Did anyone grab a relic for me?"

[Ru] "Uh… There weren't enough. You still don't even have a partner, right? There were an odd number of students, so that means one student had to go without a partner. Which also means one student couldn't pick up a relic… Does that mean you fail the training exercise?"

[N] "I sure hope not."

[N] Was this on purpose? Did Ozpin somehow know I wouldn't have a partner?

[R] Who knows with that guy. He's so cryptic all the time. You should ask him what's up.

[G] He does have a knack for knowing the future. What an odd man.

[N] "Alright, Ruby, you ready? Let's group up."

[Ru] "Ready."

* * *

[N] I hate standing in here. It's so crowded.

[R] Who would have thought you'd be such an introvert?

[N] No one said I was introverted, I just hate crowds.

[R] Close enough.

 **Nyter stood in the auditorium, awaiting the results of the training exercise. There were so many students in the same room, and there was even an upper level of seats to house more students. Ozpin continued reading the list of teams, assigning them by which pair of students picked the same chess piece, for a total of four team members.**

[O] "Jaune Arc. Lie Ren. Pyrrha Nikos. Nora Valkyrie. The four of you retrieved the white rook pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as… Team JNPR. Led by… Jaune Arc."

[N] Wow, he actually made it to leader. Good on him. Now we get to hear the last team.

[O] "And finally… Blake Belladonna, Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, and Yang Xiao Long. The four of you retrieved the white knight pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as… Team RWBY. Led by… Ruby Rose."

[N] What about me, old man?

 **Ruby is seen tugging on Ozpin's shoulder and saying something away from the microphone.**

[O] "Now, this is the first year that this has occurred, but we have an odd number of students. This was a blunder on my part, since there aren't supposed to be any students left out of a team. And so, would Nyter please join team RWBY on the stage?"

 **The audience silences, waiting for Nyter to walk onto the stage.**

[N] Come on, you didn't have to put me on the spot like that.

 **Nyter hesitantly walks on stage, standing next to Ruby.**

[O] "Traditionally, I would assign everyone a team based on their pieces, but since you have none, I'll allow you to choose your own. You can choose to stay with team RWBY or change to another team if you would like. However, since the teams only comprise of four members, your letter will not be reflected in the acronym. You will act more of a bodyguard, or escort, since you have ample combat experience."

[N] "Uh… I'll stick with team RWBY."

 **Yang claps amidst the silence, prompting a few more disjointed claps from the audience. Ruby smiles at Nyter, grateful for his decision.**

[N] He singled me out so bad. Is he trying to embarrass me?

[R] I'd take it as a compliment. He pretty much called you better than everyone else.

[N] I feel like that means people are gonna take offense that I didn't join their team instead.

[R] Don't overthink things, mate. You're a bodyguard! You just do what you're told and protect your teammates. I'm sure you can handle that.

[N] Your accent really shines during odd moments. What's up with that?

[R] I can't help it. I'm just me.

[O] "That concludes our ceremony today. Thank you all for attending this academy, your talents will not be wasted. Have a wonderful rest of the evening."

 **The crowd erupts into applause, and students begin to disperse.**

[N] "I've gotta talk to Ozpin. I'll catch you guys later."

[Ru] "Alright, make sure you hurry! We're gonna choose beds soon enough."

* * *

 **Nyter sat in Ozpin's office, tapping his feet on the ground. His question was being pondered for two minutes, and he patiently awaited Ozpin's reply.**

[O] "While it's true that I may know much about a lot of things, I cannot possibly know what the future holds. That being said, I simply had an oversight. Frankly, I almost forgot to even include you in the ceremony. Ruby is the only reason you even got on stage; she had to remind me that you had participated in the exercise, and I had to think of something on the spot. It could have gone better, but at least you're included in a team."

[N] "As a _bodyguard?_ What am I supposed to do?"

[O] "What any good bodyguard does: accompany them, make sure they're safe, and keep them out of trouble. I have a feeling they're going to encounter a myriad of problems. It's _your_ job to teach them how to act as a team, and make sure they're doing alright. Ruby is only fifteen years old; while she may have the gusto of a true leader, she lacks experience. You must ensure she can handle the position, while also guarding them from trouble."

[N] "Why are you telling me this about Ruby if you gave me a choice to switch teams?"

[O] "I expected you to be a part of team RWBY as soon as you walked on that stage. Sure, it was a gamble, but if I had assigned you to team RWBY for no reason, the other teams would be suspicious, possibly even jealous. You don't want _that_ much attention, do you?"

[N] "Absolutely not."

[O] "There you have it."

[N] "Well, can I have one request then? Since I was singled out in front of everybody?"

[O] "I suppose."

[N] "You had cameras in the forest, right? You couldn't possibly have been watching from above the cliff the entire time."

[O] "There may have been cameras placed on the forest for monitoring."

[N] "Can I watch the footage?"

[O] "Grading the initiates and your team, I presume?"

[N] "The first step for me to teach them is to watch how they fight and react to dangerous situations. I'm also going to need a device to make a plastic ID card. I'm sure Ironwood has one lying around."

[O] "You want me to call Ironwood just so you can have a machine to make some sort of ID card?"

[N] "Correct. Several ID cards. You know how I operate."

[O] "It's quite humorous to see the student become the teacher. I'll see what I can do about the ID cards."

[N] "I've still got much to learn as well, don't count me out of being a student just yet."

[O] "Speaking of that, you're not going to be enrolled in any classes."

[N] "What do you mean?"

[O] "I'll brief you after you watch the footage. I've still got a bit of planning to do."

[N] "Whatever you say. Fine by me."

[O] "The files for the footage are stored in my computer. You can use it, and I'm trusting you won't do any snooping around."

[N] "Sir, yes sir."

[O] "Good. Anything else?"

[N] "Pencil and paper?"

 **Ozpin opens his desk and hands Nyter a small black notebook with a sketching pencil.**

[O] "You can make do with this."

[N] "Thanks. Now, if it's not too much to ask, would I be allowed to work in silence until I'm done?"

[O] "I was just about to leave. You shouldn't stay long, you should speak with your team some time tonight. It's already 9:00 PM."

[N] "Can do."

 **Ozpin exits his office and leaves Nyter sitting at the desk, logging into his computer. He browses through the footage files, sifting through the different cameras to find the ones he needs. Once he finds the group, he begins to watch, switching between camera files to watch the next scene. Nyter jolts a mass of notes in the notebook given to him, dissecting every decision made by his teammates and even team JNPR. A few hours pass of Nyter watching the entirety of the footage, evaluating each second and each choice made. After reviewing everything altogether, Nyter comes to a stark realization.**

[N] If there are cameras all over the forest, does that mean that Marcus was able to be seen helping me? He took me away from the training grounds, but he still had to enter the grounds to even get me in the first place.

 **Nyter rewinds the footage, back to the very beginning, and finds the camera that was viewing him. He watches as his body slams on the ground and hears a loud** _ **crack**_ **. After this, the camera tears, almost as if it malfunctions. After the screen tear, Nyter's body is gone, and no trace of anything is found. Even after looking at several different camera angles, Nyter's body just vanishes.**

[N] What the hell did Marcus do…?

 **Finally pleased with his evaluations, yet still plagued with questions about Marcus's appearance, he logs off and begins to head out. Looking at his watch, it appears to be around 11:30. Nyter closes his notebook and calls for the elevator. Surprisingly, Ozpin is already in the elevator when it opens.**

[O] "Ah, what a coincidence."

 **In Ozpin's hands was a large device, similar to an old fashioned printer.**

[O] "I found an old ID printer. Just upload your format and it'll print out a card with whatever you want on it. It's fairly archaic, so don't blame me if it doesn't work."

[N] "Ah. Thanks. Do I get a private quarters or am I stuck in the room with the girls?"

[O] "I managed a small renovation. It's not a large work-space, but it'll suffice. It's connected to the girl's room with a small sliding door, so you won't really be separated from them. I went ahead and told them it's your space. The bathrooms are communal, stationed to the right of the hallway right down from your room. Also, there is one bathroom in the dorm room, simply due to the fact that Ruby is fifteen and I'd like to avoid trouble with her age and communal showers."

[N] "Makes sense. I may need a scroll for research. I also need to design my ID's."

[O] "Already ahead of you. I've assigned this scroll to your personal identification records. No one will be able to use it but you. It is also specially made according to your specifications."

 **Ozpin hands Nyter the machine and reaches into his coat pocket for the scroll. He placed the scroll in Nyter's chest pocket.**

[N] "Thanks, I've never used one of these before, though. Also, I need extra clothes. I'll be in a school environment, so I don't think it's best to be walking around in the same clothes. It'll also be a burden to wash the same shirt and undergarments every day."

[O] "They're already being delivered to your room in the morning. You'll have enough to wear a new pair once a week before you'd have to wash them."

[N] "Alright, sounds good."

[O] "You should really get going. They're almost ready for bed."

[N] "I'll try my best. One more question… Where is it at?"

 **With a chuckle, Ozpin relays the directions to reach his quarters. Before Nyter leaves, Ozpin hands him a slip of paper and relays the plan for his semester. Nyter quizzically stares at the paper before placing it in his pocket. Going down the elevator, Nyter made his way towards the dorm hall. Because his hands are full with the ID machine, he has to tap on the bottom of the door with his boot. A sleepy Weiss opens the door, rubbing her eyes.**

[W] "Oh. It's _you_."

[N] "Hey there. Can I come in?"

[W] "I suppose."

 **Weiss yawns and opens the rest of the door, allowing Nyter to step inside. The inside of the room was quite cluttered, with a fair amount of books and other personalized items strewn across in boxes. It appears the group had chosen to set up things in the morning, rather than tonight. Four beds spanned across the room, with Yang and Blake already covered up. Weiss climbs back into bed, which leaves Nyter looking at Ruby. There was one door against the wall, which Nyter guessed was his office space, while another door sat about a foot away from it, assumedly the bathroom.**

[N] "Hello everyone. Can someone help me set this up?"

 **At this point, Ruby is really the only one fully awake. She's sitting up in her bed, looking at her scroll. In response to Nyter's question, she looks up at him and replies.**

[Ru] "I can help. Everyone else is almost already asleep. Here, let me open your door for you."

 **Ruby slides open the door leading to Nyter's small office, which simply consists of a very cramped and barren room, coupled with an outlet to plug in the ID printer.**

[N] "This is the size of a closet... I like it. Nice and confined."

 **The only object in the room was a small window, enough to let natural light in.**

[N] "Hmm… Do you happen to have an extra lamp?"

[Ru] "I don't… I'm sorry."

[N] "In that case, is it okay for me to use your lamp?"

[Ru] "You'd have to sit in my bed, but I don't mind."

 **Nyter exits the office and closes the sliding door. Finding the outlet with the lamp, he uses the lower outlet to plug in his ID printer. He set it down on Ruby's nightstand and turned it on.**

[N] "Now I gotta figure out how to use this thing…"

[Ru] "What is that? What are you gonna do?"

[N] "You'll see. Think of it as a gift."

[Ru] "If you say so…"

[N] I guess it's a bit of a stretch to see if we know anything about an old ID printer, huh?

[G] I'll see what I can find.

 **As Galer searched through expansive memories to find any information on how to operate an archaic ID printer, Nyter tried to turn it on. Pressing the power button, he heard a myriad of horrifying beeps, which startled Blake. Waking from her sleep, she immediately sat up in her bed and looked around for the source of the noise.**

[N] "Sorry, Blake. Didn't mean to wake you. Just trying to figure this thing out."

[B] "What is that, an old ID printer?"

[N] "Uh, yeah, how did you know that?"

[B] "I've used a few before."

[N] "A few?"

[B] "Yeah, do you need it set up or something?"

[N] "If you could help, that'd be wonderful."

 **Blake reaches over from her bed and presses a few buttons on the machine. More beeps occur until the machine starts a low buzz.**

[B] "Alright, just connect your scroll wirelessly and upload your format. It'll begin printing when you press this button. I'm gonna go back to sleep. Goodnight."

 **Nyter begins to work on formatting his ID cards and sits on the edge of Ruby's bed. Ruby also climbs in her bed and lies down on the edge closest to Nyter.**

[Ru] "What are you doing up so late?"

[N] "Just gotta finish this, then I'm going to bed."

[Ru] "Well… There are only four beds. Ozpin forgot to add in a fifth for you."

[N] "He didn't forget to add another one. He knows I don't sleep in a bed."

[Ru] "What? What do you sleep in?"

[N]"The floor is nice enough for me."

[Ru] "You're kidding me…"

[N] "Ruby, I haven't slept in a bed in probably well over 2 years. Even then, it was only for a few nights at an inn. And I hated it. The only reason I even did it was because it was a cheap place and the floor was horrendously dirty."

[Ru] "Nyter, that's crazy! You can't possibly tell me that sleeping on the floor is better than sleeping in a bed."

[N] "You're the one who's crazy. The floor aligns your hips, straightens your posture, reduces back pain, and you don't sink into some sort of artificial material. It can be uncomfortable, but if you find the right position, you can wake up and feel much more refreshed than sleeping in a bed."

[Ru] "I think I'll stick with my comfy bed. If you ever change your mind, I don't mind sharing… I don't want to see you sleeping on the floor while we're all cozy in our beds."

[N] "I'll consider it."

 **An awkward silence ensues as Nyter finishes up his format. He presses the button on the machine, and an ID card begins printing. Once it's finished, he inspects it. Seemingly up to his standards, he hands the card to Ruby.**

[N] "There you are. Your very own ID card. I don't know how much plastic is available in this printer, so don't lose this. I'm gonna make cards for everyone in the group, and even team JNPR."

[Ru] "Why are you making ID cards for us all?"

[N] "Think of it as me taking you under my wing. Take a look at the card."

 **Ruby looks down at her card, reading the text.**

[Ru] "What do all these letters mean?"

[N] "They're grades. Each one of you has one. I graded each of you based on eight factors: Strength, for how physically strong you seem to be; Finesse, for how dextrous and mobile you are, Speed, for how quickly you move across the battlefield; Adaptability, which is your ability to quickly adapt to a situation with new variables; Strategy, denoting your ability to formulate a plan and stick with it; Intelligence, not only with just book smarts, but how smart you act in battle; Constitution, which is your ability to be able to take a hit; and finally, Independence, which is how well you perform when separated from your team and hurled on your own. I have given grades ranging from D, C, B, A, and S. These all correlate to a number; a D equals one, C equals 2, B is three, A is four, and S is five. There are also plusses attached to some scores, which means that your score isn't high enough to reach the next grade, but it is a bit higher than the current one. One plus adds .5 to your score, and two plusses adds .8 to your score. The addition of all 8 scores, divided by 8, is what I used to grade your combat experience as a whole, which I denoted as your CPA (Combat Point Average). Any questions?"

 **Ruby looked over each of her scores, gauging them carefully. The scores for Ruby are as follows:**

Ruby Rose: B (3.23 CPA)  
Strength: B  
Strategy: B  
Finesse: A++  
Intelligence: C  
Speed: S  
Constitution: C  
Adaptability: B  
Independence: B

[Ru] "A B? Is that good?"

[N] "You have the highest CPA on the team, right after Yang. I'd say it's pretty good for a first year initiate, and especially at your young age."

 **Ruby lightly punched him on the arm, startling him.**

[Ru] "Hey, why is my intelligence a C?!"

[N] "I almost considered making it a D-Plus. I felt generous. You made a few careless decisions and you're also fairly young with very little combat experience, I don't expect you to know too much in or outside the battle. However, these values may change, and once they do, I'll make you a new ID card. Don't fret about it. It's what I use to gauge what you must improve on. In fact, you should be glad about your score. Out of the entirety of team RWBY _and_ team JNPR, you're one of only three people who don't have a single D score."

[Ru] "Who scored the highest?"

[N] "Pyrrha, which honestly makes sense. She's quite the capable fighter."

[Ru] "She does seem pretty good…"

 **Nyter looked at his watch again and sighed. 12:30 AM.**

[N] "Alright, as soon as I print the rest of these cards, I'm gonna go to bed. We've got class in eight and a half hours."

[Ru] "Gonna go to bed without a bed?"

 **Ruby snickered to herself.**

[N] "Correct. I'm a bit afraid to be sharing a bed with the opposite gender. Makes me creeped out just thinking about it. I'm not desensitized to human touch."

[Ru] "What do you mean?"

[N]] "I mean, if you accidentally touch me in your sleep, I could have some sort of involuntary reaction. This bed is too small for us both to sleep in without someone touching the other person, intentionally or unintentionally."

[Ru] "Well you should get used to it. Touching humans is a part of life."

[N] "A part I'm not necessarily accustomed to. I'm not gonna say I'm a sociopath with no compassion, but I certainly don't feel the same attraction to people that one should at this age. Even being joined into a relationship scares me beyond reason."

[Ru] "I'm sure that once you get used to us, you'll stop being so scared of being close to people."

[N] "I'm not scared of being close to people in general, but I am scared of being close to just one person in particular. It's not like I enjoy this lifestyle. I want to be able to form meaningful relationships with people. I want to be able to enjoy the caress of a human's touch."

[Ru] "Speaking of humans, what did you mean when you said you were used to fighting demons?"

[N] "You took too long to ask. I'm about to go to bed. Too late for that story. Perhaps another night."

[Ru] "Aww, come on…"

[N] "Sorry, it's just too late. I'll tell you tomorrow night, okay?"

[Ru] "Alright, I'll hold you to it."

[R] She better hold _me_ to it. In fact, she can just hold me.

[N] Good one.

[R] Look at you, opening yourself up to her. You don't even talk like that to us.

[N] It just feels natural with her, I don't know. It's weird to me too.

 **Nyter finished printing the last of the ID cards, unplugged the printer, and began walking to his "room."**

[Ru] "Hey, Nyter?"

 **Nyter turned around and stared at Ruby. He watched as she removed herself from the bed, and stood up. Her hair bounced across her shoulders. Her pajamas were wrinkled, but Nyter believed she appeared quite cute in her beowolf tank top, with her white pants dotted with roses. She approached Nyter, seeming hesitant in her steps.**

[N] "Yes, Ruby?"

[Ru] "I… Hope you sleep well, tonight. I'm glad you're on our team. We're gonna have a blast."

 **Nyter gave her a bright smile and held out his fist for Ruby to pound. She pounded it enthusiastically and made a small explosion sound with her mouth.**

[N] "I'm glad I'm on your team as well. Now, let's get to bed. Goodnight, sleep well."

[Ru] "Wait…"

[N] "Hm…?"

[Ru] "Are you sleeping in that?"

[N] "In what?"

[Ru] "All that!"

 **Ruby violently gestured at Nyter's leather armor.**

[N] "Of course. I always sleep in this."

[Ru] "You sleep on the floor, without pajamas, and wearing your armor. Nyter, I can't believe you."

[N] "Cut me some slack, I don't even own any pajamas."

 **Ruby gasped as she grabbed Nyter's right arm.**

[Ru] "That's it. One day, we're going shopping, and we're going to get you some comfy bed clothes."

[N] "Sounds like a plan. You've got quite the grip."

[Ru] "I do have a B in strength, apparently. Also, what's your score?"

[N] "Huh?"

[Ru] "Do you also have an ID card? With all your scores?"

[N] "No. I figured that giving myself scores would be fairly biased."

[Ru] "Hmm… Maybe I can make one for you!"

[N] "You think so? I don't believe it would be very accurate."

[Ru] "What? Why not?"

[N] "You haven't really seen me fight, haha."

[Ru] "I can watch you and grade you accordingly."

[N] "Whatever you say, Ruby. Time for bed. Goodnight."

[Ru] "Night!"

 **Nyter slid open his door to enter and closed it afterwards. As the door closed, he heard a muffled hushed yell.**

[Ru] "Wait!"

 **Ruby opened the door and popped her head in, asking Nyter one more question.**

[Ru] "Do you even have a blanket?!"

[N] "No."

 **Ruby exhaled an exasperated sigh and held up a finger. Her head exited Nyter's vision while he heard a few rustling sounds. She appeared once again and opened the door a bit more. She inserted a blanket through the opening.**

[Ru] "At _least_ sleep with a blanket. Please?"

[N] "Alright, for you."

 **Ruby let out a sigh of relief as Nyter took the blanket from her.**

[Ru] "For a second, I thought you were gonna say no. Phew. Goodnight, Nyter."

[N] "Goodnight, Ruby."

 **Ruby closed the door, and Nyter listened to her footsteps as she plopped onto her bed.**

[N] Why does she care so much about how I sleep?

[G] Even _I_ slept in a bed, Nyter. At least, the few times I actually went to bed. Not everyone is just going to ignore the fact that you sleep on the floor.

[R] Yeah, it's pretty weird dude, I'm not gonna lie.

[N] Oh well.

[R] I'll bet five dollars that you're gonna end up sleeping in her bed before the semester ends.

[N] She did offer it. Maybe she can change my mind about it.

[G] You're not going to take advantage of her, are you?

[N] What's that supposed to be mean?

[G] Just a joke. I forgot you're not normal.

[N] Oh well. I'm tired, let me sleep.

[G] Sure thing.

 **Nyter lies down on the cold floor, which is made from some solid black material. He pulled the blanket over his body, shielding him from the draft on the floor.**

[N] Not as good as a wooden floor, but it'll do.

 **Lying on his back, Nyter places his hands behind his head to act a pillow. This was the most comfortable and most natural position for Nyter while he slept on the floor.**

[N] Tomorrow's gonna be a good day.

* * *

Legend: [M] = Marcus


	6. Chapter 6

**Google Doc link: nyterngr6 (I realized recently that I forgot to actually put the link into a tinyurl... Whoops. It works now though!)**

Turns out, I forgot to upload this yesterday... ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯This is the longest chapter so far. I may have went a little overboard in content here, but I couldn't bring myself to delete anything I wrote, so here's an 18k chapter. Enjoy!

* * *

 **Chapter 6**

[N] So no dreams tonight, huh?

 **Nyter opens his eyes, awoken by a few noises in the girl's room. He stares at the ceiling for a bit, listening to what's happening. Apparently Ruby was blowing a whistle. Very loudly.**

[N] I didn't oversleep, did I?

 **Nyter glanced at his watch, which read 8:25.**

[N] Oh good, I've got plenty of time.

 **Nyter sits up and starts the process of removing all his armor, first by loosening the cords tied to his sides. Next, he takes off the metal arm guard across his right upper arm. He then unfastens the various belts across his chest, which were keeping the chest piece in place. Grabbing the collar of his armor, he slips his head out of the opening and takes his arms out as well. With his armor completely off, Nyter sits back down and slips off his white undershirt, beginning to perform various shoulder stretches. Looking down at his body, Nyter evaluated the course of his muscle gain. He wasn't the most muscular individual he has seen, of course, but he was certainly able to hold his own. An outline of abs appeared across his abdomen, while his biceps were indicative of regular exercise. Nyter would categorize himself as somewhat of an average build, perhaps very slightly above average, even given his relatively smaller height to other males. As he pulls his left arm to the right side of his chest to continue his stretches, he hears Ruby sliding his door open.**

[Ru] "Good morning! We just got done redecor-"

 **Ruby cut herself off with a gasp, widening her eyes at Nyter. Nyter had guessed to himself that her gasp was caused by her barging in while he was shirtless.**

[Ru] "Nyter, your…!"

[N] "What, what's wrong?"

[Ru] "Your chest, and your arms…"

[N] Ohhhh. That's why she gasped.

 **Nyter realized the source of her concern. Across Nyter's chest were numerous scars, namely one that took up an entire arm's length diagonally across the middle. Nyter's arms also had showcased innumerable scars, ranging from whip marks to past lacerations. However, Nyter's back appeared to have the worst of it. There were masses of lashes and other unknown scar tissue, scattered across the entirety of his skin. Nyter decided to explain his strange appearance, attempting to make Ruby feel a little less uncomfortable. She continues to stare, eyes widened.**

[N] "Sorry you had to see that. Sometimes I forget they're there. Don't worry, these wounds are ages past. I'm not even sure how half of them got there, haha. I wasn't kidding when I told you it was hard for me to die."

 **Ruby finally caught herself and averted her eyes, trying not to continuously stare at Nyter.**

[Ru] "Sorry, I didn't mean to stare. We just got done redecorating our room, if you wanted to check it out… This was also delivered to our room by someone. They said it was yours."

 **Ruby slides a large black duffle bag through the doorway into Nyter's room.**

[N] "I'd love to look at the room. Those must be my extra clothes. Thank you. I'm about to take a shower, though, so I can't stay long."

[Ru] "Alright…"

[N] The sooner I show everyone, the less awkward it'll be.

[G] They're all going to stare at you.

[R] If having tons of scars made women stare at me as long as Ruby did for you, I'd be whipping myself.

[N] I see your dark humor still shows.

[R] Just trying to lighten the mood. That was pretty awk.

[N] Awk? Are you still trying to fit in?

[R] Listen, buddy, I'm the coolest cat you'll ever meet. Don't even question it.

[N] Whatever you say.

 **Ruby exits the doorway, allowing Nyter to step through into the room. As he walked past the door and into the room, he looked around the newly redecorated area. There were shelves put up on Blake's side of the room, with books placed neatly on the shelves. There appeared to be various posters hung up next to the curtains. The curtains themselves had a large tear in the middle but was shoddily put back in place. The beds were completely cramped and seemed to be almost on top of one another. Due to his shirt still being off, he earned a stare from every other person in the room, excluding Ruby. Blake quickly looked away after a few seconds, not wanting to continue glaring. Yang keeps a steady eye on Nyter, while Weiss appears a bit flustered.**

[W] "What are you doing?! Put a shirt on, you mongrel!"

[Ru] "Weiss! Don't be rude!"

 **Yang lets out a noise akin to a tiger, indicating her pleasure in the sight before her.**

[Y] "Wow, Nyter. Not bad."

[N] "Uh, thanks. Do you guys know where the showers are?"

[Y] "Oh, I believe _I_ can direct to the showers."

[Ru] "Yaaang…"

[N] "I think you're embarrassing your sister. You can just tell me where they are."

 **Yang explained the path to the communal showers, making sure to continue staring at him.**

[N] "Thanks. I'll be on my way. I hope you figure out what to do with those beds. See you in fifteen minutes."

[Y] "I thought boys only took like five-minute showers?"

[N] "It's true that I can shorten it down, but showering is my 'me' time. One of the few instances where I find pleasure."

[Y] "You may be really weird, but as least you're a looker."

[N] "I appreciate your straightforwardness. Sadly, I'm not into blonde girls."

[Y] "What?!"

[R] Stone _cold_.

[N] "Just a joke. See you guys later. Oh, wait… I need a towel. Does anyone have one I can borrow?"

[Y] "You can borrow mine."

[N] "Thanks."

 **Nyter begins to walk outside of the door, obscuring most of his unappealing scars with the towel given to him. As he walks towards the direction of the showers, he is interrupted by a student who accidentally bumps into him.**

[?] "Sorry, man. Didn't see you coming out of the doorway."

 **The voice behind Nyter was fairly deep but warm and friendly. Turning around to get a look at the man, Nyter noticed that he was very burly, with much more muscle mass than himself. He was wearing a black t-shirt, made from silk, with deep blue jeans. His hair was brown with a hint of very dark red, short on the sides and medium-length on top with bangs. It was currently combed to the left.**

[N] "Don't worry about it. I'm Nyter, nice to meet you."

[?] "I'm Luke. Nice to meet you too. I'm gonna go take a shower, but I don't know where they are. I assume you're going there too since you're shirtless. Where are they at?"

[N] "I'm probably not the best to ask since I only have a slight clue myself, but I'll try to lead the way there."

 **Luke nods his head and blindly follows the lead of Nyter, trying to scout out the washroom. After walking down the hall and turning a right, they find a sign reading "BATHROOM" above a small hallway.**

[R] No way… Is this… a coed bathroom?! Deary me… A bloke like me wouldn't last a second in this school.

[N] Are you a registered pervert?

[R] Is there such a thing?

[N] I'm about to make it a thing.

[N] "That has to be it."

[L] "Thanks for the help. Hey, you're on a team with that white-haired girl, right?"

[N] "That is correct."

[L] "Do you think you could… Talk to her for me?"

[N] "Uh… I'll see what I can do. No promises, though. I'm not particularly fancy when talking to women."

[L] "Thank you so much. She's such a cutie, but despite my large appearance, I'm also pretty bad at talking to girls."

[N] "Interesting. Don't get your hopes too high, though. She seems to be pretty high maintenance."

[L] "I can handle it, I'm sure!"

[N] "Whatever you say, Luke."

[L] "Say, Nyter is it? I don't mean to be snoopy, but what's up with all those scratches?"

[N] "My scars? They're way behind me. My days of all that are over. These were from a time where I wasn't quite myself. It's difficult to accurately explain. I was put in a line of work where mutilation was almost normalized. It's pretty funny actually, I'm completely desensitized to my own harm, but I can't stand the touch of a woman."

[L] "Really? Are you sure you're not, uh…"

[N] "I don't believe I'm homosexual if that's what you're referring to. I hardly believe I'm heterosexual, actually. I haven't felt attracted to a single human being. Or faunus, for that matter."

[L] "I guess it's not the strangest thing I've ever heard. Well, I'm gonna hop in the shower. I'll catcha later."

 **While Nyter began to enter into the shower room, he was berated by Rodger. He listened to Rodger's sentiments as he began taking off his armored pants.**

[R] _Liar!_

[N] Cut it out.

[R] How about _you_ cut it out? Denying your feelings gets you nowhere!

[N] I don't know what you're talking about, Rodger.

 **Once the armor is finally off, Nyter slips off his remaining undergarments and enters the shower, turning the curtains. Lukewarm water is enjoyable enough to Nyter.**

[R] Nyter. We are part of you. We feel what you feel. You feel what we feel. When you look at Ruby, you don't just look at her. You _look_ at her.

[N] You just repeated the same thing.

[R] No, Nyter. You _looook_ at her. You notice all of her features. You focus on every single aspect of her person at once. You intently listen to whatever she has to say, and you always tend to go easy on her compared to other people you interact with.

[N] What do you mean 'go easy on her?'

[R] Every time you speak to her, you're careful about what you say, you think before you speak, you stop doing your stupid jokes that no one understands, and you're generally calmer and less anxious around her than anybody else.

[N] I still don't see how I'm easy on her. I was the one who insulted her on her idiotic move the other day, trying to take on that Ursa.

[R] Yes, you did scold her for her decision, but it wasn't meant to be an insult. You wanted her to learn, if anything. You wanted her to become better from that mistake, and the best way you figured to do that was make it into a big deal and berate her for it.

[N] I'm hardly following your logic.

[R] Unbelievable! You're a brick wall! For the last time, Nyter… _Listen_ to me. The more you begin to deny your feelings, the less human you're going to be. It's okay to feel for someone. I know you're afraid of it, you've already admitted it, but it's better in the long run to just accept it. These things come on a whim. It's not our place to question it, but it is our place to act upon it should we choose to.

[N] Alright, let's say I do have feelings for Ruby. For one, that would be strange, considering we have only known each other for literally less than three days. Two, I wouldn't have the first _clue_ in how to act on those feelings. Three, you _know_ that I can't stand women touching me. It riddles me with anxiety and fear.

[R] Let's compromise, then. It's possible you don't have feelings for her. However, it's also possible that you _do_ have feelings for her. Do you find that to be a correct statement?

[N] I suppose.

[R] Yes. Or. No.

 **With a heavy, audible sigh, Nyter reluctantly responds aloud out of habit.**

[N] "Yes."

[R] Good! We're getting somewhere. I'll make a genuine human out of you yet, Nyter.

[N] Oh yeah? Then what am I now?

[R] More like an android. The only difference is, you can bleed.

[N] And I'd say my self-repair is on par to an android's nanomachines.

[R] Perhaps. All I want you to realize, Nyter, is that you have feelings. They're normal. Especially for someone your age. I know that we don't actually know your age, and I know you've been subjected to a quite unconventional background, but you're no demon.

[N] I sure do have demon limbs, though.

 **Nyter took a moment to examine his nude frame. He placed a hand on his arm, closing his eyes. As he ran his hand over the skin of his upper arm, there was no feeling of soft or smooth skin. Rather, he felt the scars accumulated over the years, the scars that led to Nyter's complete desensitization to his own injuries. They felt like railroad tracks, winding across his arm but stopping at the elbow. There were only a few scratches and very minor scar tissue across the forearm. Looking down at his legs, Nyter also viewed the spectacle. Hair didn't grow normally, due to a few patches of skin being covered in burn scars. Nyter took a different hand and placed it gently on his chest, tracing the largest scar with the tips of his fingers, dragging from the top of his left shoulder down to the right side of his hip. Nyter soon developed a headache and leaned his arm against the wall of the shower. Placing his free hand on his face, he felt as though he was recalling a memory.**

[N] Why do I feel like I'm about to discover another memory? It has something to do with… A season? Come on, think…

[G] I know exactly what you're trying to recall.

[N] What, you do?

[G] Yes. You've recalled this particular memory a few times, actually. With the most recent recollection, you told me specifically to not let you remember. No matter how many times you told me you wanted to know. Every time you would remember, you would force yourself to forget it again through sheer willpower.

[N] I think I'm stable enough to handle it now. Come on, just tell me.

[G] I don't think so. You told me to never tell you. Never even to hint at it. Do me a favor and just don't try to remember it. I don't want you scolding me for letting you recall it again.

[N] It can't be that bad.

[G] It is that bad.

[N] I feel like it's important… Like I need to remember it.

[G] You don't. Trust me.

[N] Whatever you say. I just want this headache gone.

 **Eyes closed, Nyter reaches to turn off the water. Removing the curtain, he picks up the towel placed upon the provided metal rack and wraps his exposed lower body. As he looked in the mirror, his silver bangs covered his eyes. The golden eyes looking back at him gave a sense of mystery. Is this who he was now? Deciding that it's too late to ask himself philosophical questions, he took his leggings and undergarments and walked the path back to his room. The hallway is strangely silent, due to no other soul leaving their dorm room yet, along with Nyter's habitually quiet footsteps. As he arrives at the door, he once again knocks politely before entering. Weiss, as usual, is the one to answer. Opening the door, she steals a glance at Nyter, clicking her tongue in annoyance.**

[N] "Hey there. Can I come in?"

[W] "You don't have to keep asking for permission. It's your room too."

[N] "It's polite to knock and ask for permission since I'm rooming with all girls. There's no telling what I could walk into."

[W] "Spare me the thought."

 **Weiss opened the door, allowing Nyter entry. He once again raised his arm to take a look at the time. 8:45.**

[N] Little bit off schedule. I'll need to hurry.

 **Nyter shut himself inside his office, leaving the RWBY team to continue assembling the beds. It appears they've opted for a bunk bed style, saving space. Nyter decides the close the curtain to his window to allow himself the privacy of changing his clothes. The room is now dimly lit due to the natural light being the only source of brightness. As Nyter's eyes adjust to the darker space, he removes the towel covering his nude lower body and unzips the front pocket of his duffle bag. Inside, he finds three black shirts and three white shirts, each made from professional-grade heat retention fabric.**

[N] Good to see that Ozpin knows I like to be bundled up. Winter is approaching, after all. My favorite season.

[R] It's not even Fall yet.

[N] Counting the days, Rodger. Counting the days.

 **Further inspection into the bag reveals six pairs of undergarments, specially designed to retain heat and absorb moisture. Three pairs are long enough to wear across the entirety of the legs, while three others are short, stopping at about the middle of his thigh.**

[N] He sure knows how to please.

[R] Maybe he doesn't want you running off. He's spoiling you to keep you invested here.

[N] Well, it's definitely working.

 **Nyter slipped on a pair of the shorter undergarments, due to the particularly warm day. He then opted to wear the white shirt today, for no particular reason. He wanted to save the black shirts for times where sleuthing was crucial. After his shirt was on, he immediately began placing his legs into his armored leggings, as they doubled as his everyday pants. Moving quickly, he began the process of putting on his chest armor. He slipped his head and arms through the appropriate sockets and cinched the strings to fasten the armor across his back. The belts were tightened, and Nyter made sure his breathing wasn't restricted. After his armor check was satisfactory, he took one final glance at his watch. 8:50.**

[N] Damn. Five minutes. I could have moved faster. Time to get a move on.

[R] What about the ID cards?

[N] I'll have to distribute them later. They're going to ask questions and delay my time here if I give it to them now.

 **Opening the sliding door to gain entrance to the main room, Nyter glimpsed the group carefully helping to ascend Ruby's bed above Weiss's. They seem to be fairly concentrated on the task, making sure the frame doesn't fall on one of the team members. Before this idea turns into a catastrophe, Nyter decides it is best to leave without a word. Closing the door behind him, he began to briskly walk towards his first class, which starts in approximately ten minutes. The walk itself took only around four minutes, as the class was relatively close to his dorm. The path only took him outside of the dorm hall, past the central fountain, and into the building next to the auditorium. The classroom itself was quite typical of an academy, with rows of seats each arranged beneath a large desk. In the front of the room rested a raised stage, complete with a whiteboard, the professor's desk, a few podiums, and a golden bust of the professor himself. Professor Port, to be exact. He was a very portly man, true enough to his name, and he was dressed in typical official attire, wearing a red double-breasted jacket with golden hems, coupled with black slacks. His hair was combed down the middle, separating in a comical mustache fashion. His actual mustache matched the hair on his head, and his bushy eyebrows rested just above his nearly closed eyelids. The whiteboard behind him showcased various species of Grimm, drawn across the entirety of the board. Nyter doesn't choose to walk in yet, opting to instead wait for the rest of his team to arrive.**

[N] I really hope they're not gonna be late. They were really pushing the time. Why did they have to try and make bunk beds before they left?

[R] Dunno, maybe they forgot they actually had classes this morning.

[N] Dummies. Oh well.

 **Nyter waited outside the classroom for five more minutes, scouting for his team. It seemed as though they would be late, so Nyter began moving inside. However, he began to hear muffled steps and heaving. Looking back outside once more, he spots the RWBY team arriving with team JNPR, all of them seemingly out of breath, breathing asynchronously.**

[N] "Well. This is quite the sight. Glad to see you guys make it."

 **Through struggled breathing, Ruby attempted to create a sentence directed towards Nyter.**

[Ru] "Nyter… where is… your uniform?"

[N] "Uniform?"

[N] I'm supposed to wear a uniform?

[R] Well look at them. They've got one on.

[N] I think Ozpin exempted me from that, given my position.

 **Nyter gave a shrug to Ruby and waved it off, changing the subject.**

[N] "At least we're not late. Let's go."

 **The two teams entered the room together. Team RWBY and team JNPR both headed left towards the seats in the classroom, while Nyter kept walking straight, traveling to the podium. His team glanced at him quizzically as they took their seats, whispering among themselves. Nyter stopped directly to the left of Professor Port, who gave him a nod and a handshake, exchanging a few words. As everyone took their respective seats, Professor Port began to speak. His voice was booming, well suited for such a large classroom, definitely in no need for an occupying microphone.**

[Po] "Hunters! Huntresses! Welcome to my humble classroom!"

 **Silence. Nyter let out a pity clap to bolster the professor's spirits. With renewed vigor, Port began to speak once again, continuing his loud nature.**

[Po] "I am joined on this stage today by one of the most esteemed combat tacticians to date: Nyter! Would you so kindly introduce yourself, Nyter?"

[N] Good thing I actually prepared for this.

 **The RWBY team seemed to be having a hard time understanding why their teammate was standing next to the professor, being introduced as such. Nyter remembered Ozpin's words to him before he left the elevator last night, explaining his unconventional student schedule.**

[O] " _You will not just be a student, but also a staff member. Nyter, you've proven to me that you are able to teach these students knowledge that not even I know. You're excellent in battle and as a leader. I want your lessons to reach across others as well. Please consider my decision. You will only be a teacher's aid, of course, to the marvelous Professor Port, along with the esteemed Doctor Oobleck and Professor Goodwitch. Besides, putting you in class as a mere student would be a waste. You've already gained as much knowledge as someone could possibly teach you, and then some."_

 **Coming back to reality, Nyter opened his mouth and began his introduction, with a vague sense of anxiety.**

[N] "Hello, class. As our wonderful professor has stated, my name is Nyter. I am currently serving as a teacher's aid for this course, and I will be the one grading your work and aiding the professor with any tasks in the classroom. Hopefully, you can all submit work to impress even me. If there is anything you need, truly, you can reach out to either me or Professor Port. I look forward to working with such a wonderful class!"

 **Nyter took a look towards the students in the room. They appeared average enough. The members of his team appeared shocked, however. Yang, Weiss, and especially Ruby were staring with their mouths slightly open. Blake seemed disinterested and continued attentively watching the professor, waiting for his next line.**

[N] At least she seems like a good student. Attentiveness is a good quality.

[Po] "Wonderful introduction, Nyter! Now we will begin our lecture, so as to not waste time. Allow us to begin our lesson by introducing the Grimm. Monsters, _deeemons_ … Prowlers of the night. Yes, the creatures of Grimm have many names. But I merely refer to them as _prey_. Haha!"

 **The classroom looks around awkwardly, unsure how to react to Port's enthusiasm so early in the morning. Nyter whispers in Port's left ear, leaning over his shoulder.**

[N] "I think they're all a bit tired. It is nine in the morning, and they're students on the first day."

[Po] "Ah, it appears Nyter has opened my eyes! Figuratively, of course. As such, due to this appearing to be a difficult morning for some of you, I will award those who participate with the highest honor! My gratitude!"

 **Nyter steals a glance at Ruby, who appears to be taking vast disinterest in the lecture at hand. With a sigh, he takes a chair from Port's desk and sits, keeping a watchful eye on the students.**

[Po] "Now, as I was saying. Vale, as well as the other three kingdoms, are safe havens in this otherwise treacherous world. Our planet is absolutely _teeming_ with creatures that would love nothing more than to tear you to pieces! And that's where we come in! Hunters! Huntresses-"

 **Port stops his monologue to give a sly wink to Yang, who returns a groan. Nyter snickers in his chair.**

[Po] "-Individuals who have sworn to protect those who cannot protect themselves. From what, you ask? Why, the very world!"

 **Another awkward silence. The students begin to look around as if waiting for someone to perform some clap or other inspirational gesture. As if by cue, one student stands up from his seat, proudly exclaiming,** "Eyy-Ya!" **The class stares at his awkward nature, and he sits back down. Nyter decides to say a few more words to Port.**

[N] "Can I say something? I want to see if I can energize their spirits a little."

[Po] "Oh-ho! It appears Nyter wishes to speak to the class, lifting their wistful souls! You have the floor, Nyter."

[N] "Hello again. Now, as Port was magnificently accentuating, the creatures of Grimm are indeed very dangerous. And while it is up to you to eradicate the enemy, I wish for everyone to remember something. Don't think of this as a burden. The minute you think of this as a burden is the moment where you cease to enjoy what you do. Rather, this is a responsibility. It is your duty as members of this academy to fight evil and to save the innocent. Instead of treating our duty as something to uphold, see it as something you simply _must_ do. This is the reason we live. Every person who is attending this academy has accepted the role of saving the world. It isn't something we can back down from. That being said, I don't want anyone to feel as though this is a chore. We are the heroes of the world. The responsibility we are accepting is great, for sure. But that doesn't make it a burden. I'd also like everyone to know that failure is okay. It is a part of life, especially with the task we've chosen to complete. I've made my fair share of mistakes, and because of them, I've grown as a human. As for our job description, we're not just hunters. Our end goal isn't to kill every single Grimm. No, our priority is to make sure we fight for those who can't protect themselves. We aren't killers. We're protectorates. We're heroes. Our priority is to save others from harm, from the Grimm, from any enemy that wishes to seek the doom of our fellow humans and faunus. We will wear that badge with pride, and we will stand in the way of anything that threatens us, our family, our friends, or any other living being on this planet."

 **Scanning the room full of students, Nyter noticed that Ruby actually began to pay attention. Nyter sighed with relief, and before he could take his seat again, he heard a clap. Then another, and another. Looking behind him, he sees Ruby, Yang, and the previous student standing up and clapping. This prompts a few more people to stand, including team JNPR, leaving only Weiss and Blake sitting in their seats. Nyter gave an awkward bow, not used to this sort of recognition, and took his seat.**

[Po] "Wonderfully said, Nyter! I knew you were an amazing leader, but that speech was simply astounding! You even got the class to clap! I'm looking forward to working with you in this class. As he was saying, we're here to graduate from this academy and combat the evil while protecting the innocent! That is what you are training to become. But first, a story. A tale of a young, handsome man. Me! When I was a boy-"

 **It was at this moment that Nyter decided to take one more survey across the class. While a few students seemed invigorated by his speech, there were also those who seemed not to be paying any attention at all. While he was able to get Ruby to pay attention to him, Professor Port seems to lack the same skill. Ruby appears to be making silly faces, drawing poorly caricatured sketches of Port, and being an overall nuisance to Weiss. Closing his eyes, Nyter releases one final chuckle before putting his hands behind his head and leaning back in the chair. It was fairly comfortable, and more than enough to put Nyter to sleep in a few minutes. However, in respect for Professor Port, Nyter decides to at least stay conscious and listen to the story with eyes closed and ears open. Aside from Ports own vanity, it was an interesting story, filled with cabbages and an encouraging song. Nyter failed to grasp even a gist of the point Port was conveying with the story, but he remained awake nonetheless. As the story came to a close, Nyter decided to open his eyes, feeling as though class was going to end soon. Weiss seems to be very frustrated with Ruby's shenanigans, to the point of angrily vibrating in her seat.**

[N] It seems our huntress is having problems with the fearless leader.

[R] It looks like she's gonna explode.

[G] Ruby was being a nuisance, I don't blame her.

[N] "The moral of the story? A true huntsman must always be honorable!"

 **Ruby is asleep at this point. Possibly purposefully annoying Weiss.**

[Po] "A true huntsman must be strategic, well educated, and wise!"

 **Ruby awakens and picks her nose, angering Weiss even further.**

[Po] "So who among you believes themselves to be the embodiment of these traits?"

[W] "I do, sir!"

 **Weiss juts her hand in the air, not waiting for the professor to notice her before she blurted her answer.**

[Po] "Well then, let's find out! Nyter, would you be so kind to reach into the other room and grab the large crate?"

[N] "Yes, sir."

 **Nyter walks to a separate corner of the room, opening the small door leading to a utility closet. A crate stands in his way, and the creature inside begins to growl and hiss.**

[N] This is gonna be interesting.

 **Lugging the crate out of the room, he drags it to the far left of the raised stage. Professor Port commends Nyter for his help and addresses Weiss.**

[Po] "Step forward, and face your opponent!"

[W] "Uh, yes, sir!"

 **Weiss hesitates before descending the rows of seats. She stands at attention on the far right side of the stage, facing in the path of the crate.**

[Po] "Miss Schnee, I appreciate your tenacity, but for you to participate in this exercise, I would prefer you use your combat attire!"

[W] "I don't have an extra change of clothes with me…"

[Po] "Then run! Run back to your dorm! We will wait! The suspense! The climax! Hurry, Miss Schnee! We are waiting!"

 **Weiss appears flustered but obeys the request. She is seen sprinting towards her dorm room, headed for a change of clothes.**

[Po] "While we wait, why don't you tell the students here about one of your triumphs to keep the suspense, Nyter?"

 **The class appears quiet, staring at Nyter. He begins to rub the back of his hair, as he habitually does in strange situations such as this.**

[N] "A story, huh? Hmm… I think I've got one. It was an awfully wet day in Mistral, and I was trudging through the hot rain in pursuit of a criminal. This specific individual was a bounty hunter, but not like the ones you see on reality TV. Foul as he was, the man hunted progressive politicians, good samaritans, and those who have previously shut down existing criminal organizations. These kinds of hits were directed at people who had pissed off some big goon, through pure kindness or through indirect interference to their plans. Our bounty hunter wasn't an amateur, though. He's killed at least twenty innocent people, and with a 100% success rate, no traces whatsoever. I guess you could call him more of a hired gun, yet he still referred to himself as a bounty hunter to boost his ego and give his work less of an evil tone. He hunted targets assigned to him by anonymous buyers, who paid through an underground unregulated internet server. The particular hit he was taking was high value, with enough money to give him bedding and food for at least three whole months without taking another hit. Something like this was hard to pass up. I knew I was in danger, dealing with someone of this skill level. Not to mention that the hit was damn good money, so he was going to do his best. Little did I know…"

 **Nyter took a pause, gauging the attention of the audience. A few students leaned forward, waiting for his next reveal. Ruby was watching with gleaming eyes. Even Blake seemed to be paying direct attention to him. Yang tapped her foot rapidly, patiently awaiting Nyter's surprise.**

[N] " _I_ was the hit!"

 **The same student who let out the** "Eyy-Ya!" **gasped in horror, hardly believing the thought. Yang stopped tapping her foot, leaning closer to her desk. Nora also let out a gasp, covering her mouth with her hands.**

[N] "I didn't know this little bit of important information. Neither did my supervisors. In hindsight, it was fairly obvious. The information presented to me and my supervisors was that the hit was a short male, silver hair, and golden eyes. To this day, I am the only person I have seen with silver hair and golden eyes. I simply thought it was an amazing coincidence, as did my supervisors. The reason we ruled me out was because my records had been purged, there was no trace of me even inhabiting Mistral. How the bounty hunter got my info is still a mystery to this day, but back to the story: We'd gotten intel that the man resided in a nearby town, and I realized that it was the same town as the one I'd started tracking him in. Turns out, we've been traveling in circles, trying to trace each other and asking inhabitants where they've seen a man like the descriptor. I knew the bounty hunter had black hair, blue eyes, and an insignia of a black rose rested on his left shoulder. He adored this pin, as was his staple. It was the only consistency I had when I connected the murders together. In each town with murdered victims, the inhabitants noticed a man leaving the scene with a black rose pin. It almost seemed like he _wanted_ to be found, since he was being so unique. As I arrived in the town, that's when I realized we were both tracking each other. Sadly, he noticed it first. I came into the inn that I was tipped and spoke to the owner at the bar. "What'll you have?" he asked. I knocked three times in quick succession, which is a common indication that you're looking for someone shady who might have come in earlier. With a nod, the barkeep shifted his eyes to my left. I slipped him a tip and turned around. Now, my first mistake was being so loud with the knocking. It immediately gave me away. My second mistake was not immediately realizing I was going to be attacked. As soon as I turned around, I was slugged square in the jaw. It hit so hard that my jaw was actually dislocated. I also accidentally bit my tongue, and it was bleeding profusely. I knew that this was where I had to act fast. As soon as I hit the ground, I-"

 **Before Nyter could reach a conclusion, Weiss burst through the door. She appeared to be out of breath.**

[Po] "It appears Miss Schnee has returned in combat uniform! We'll have to wrap up this story another time, Nyter."

 **A collective whine came from the audience, signaling their displeasure against being torn away from the story.**

[N] "Sorry guys! We'll wrap it up tomorrow. Promise!"

 **Nyter raised a fist in the air, prompting a few students to reciprocate. Nyter then moved towards the crate, which was stirring with growls once again. Blake holds up a flag labeled "RWBY" and cheers for Weiss. Yang raises her fist for encouragement.**

[Ru] "Yeah! Represent teeeeam RWBY!"

 **Weiss lowers her sword stance and addresses Ruby.**

[W] "Ruby, I'm trying to focus!"

 **Ruby appeared crestfallen, much to Nyter's sympathy. He silently wished for Weiss to be impaled by whatever Grimm resided in this crate.**

[Ru] "Oh, um… Sorry…"

[N] "You ready, Weiss?"

[W] "Of course I'm ready."

[Po] "Allllright! Let the match… Begin!"

 **Nyter lifted up on the cage's door, releasing the Grimm creature held inside. It was a Boarbatusk, a species of Grimm with similar features to that of a boar with elongated tusks. It charged straight for Weiss, with absolutely no hesitation. Nyter watched with pleasure as a flustered Weiss attempted to block the bullrush, successfully dodging the attack. Weiss attempted to control her breathing as the Boarbatusk glared at her, both enemies studying which move the next will pull.**

[Po] "Haha! Wasn't expecting _that_ , were you?"

[Ru] "Hang in there, Weiss!"

 **Ruby once again distracted Weiss, much to her displeasure. Weiss charged toward the Boarbatusk in a bold counter-attack, but her rapier was lodged in-between the boar's tusks. A defenseless Weiss is flung side to side, still clutching to her weapon.**

[Po] "Bold new approach… I _like_ it!"

[Ru] "Come on, Weiss, show it who's boss!"

 **In response to Ruby's comment, Weiss shoots a glare in her direction. This distraction quickly became a critical mistake, as the boar disarmed Weiss's weapon from her grasp.**

[Po] "Oh-oh! Now what will you do without your weapon?"

[N] Come on, Weiss… Adaptability, independence… Think fast.

[R] Oh, so now you're cheering for her?

[N] As much as I like to see her get flung around, she is my teammate, and I'm here to make sure she does well.

[R] How noble.

 **Weiss watched the boar, waiting for the perfect time to reach for her weapon. As soon as it began to charge again, Weiss rolled to the side, avoiding the linear strike. She immediately made a dash for her weapon, arming herself and assuming a defensive stance. Nyter praised her silently.**

[Ru] "Weiss, go for its belly! There's no armor underneath-"

[W] "Stop telling me what to do!"

 **Appearing crestfallen, Ruby placed her head down in apparent shame. Weiss returned her attention towards the Boarbatusk. It began to hurl itself into a ball, spinning wildly and gaining monstrous momentum. Weiss predicted its next move, summoning a blue rune into the path of the boar. As the boar began to ram into Weiss, it slammed into the rune, propelling it backward onto its back. Using a gravity rune, Weiss thrust her body towards the Boarbatusk's exposed belly. The rapier glided into its stomach with ease, finally putting an end to the battle with a scream from the Boarbatusk. With her sword still impaling the deceased Grimm, Weiss gasped for breath, inhaling and exhaling rapidly. Nyter clapped at the performance, impressed with the outcome.**

[Po] "Bravo! Bra-vo! It appears we are indeed in the presence of a true huntress-in-training! I'm afraid that's all the time we have for today. Be sure to cover the assigned readings, and remember… Stay vigilant!"

 **Noticing Ruby's incessant frowning, he decides to walk up to her seat and escort her out of the classroom, while Jaune follows in tow. The team glances at Weiss, who returns an evil glare to Ruby, hurriedly walking out of the classroom.**

[J] "Sheesh, what's up with her?"

[N] "I'm guessing she doesn't like to be told what to do."

 **Ruby excuses herself from the group, running in the direction Weiss took off to. Jaune began to follow, but Nyter placed a hand on his shoulder and shook his head.**

[N] "This is between them. No need for us to interfere."

[J] "Right…"

[N] "Go on and move to your next class. I'll make sure they don't break out into a fight."

 **With a reluctant nod, Jaune glances at his schedule and travels to his next class. Nyter exits the room, moving down the hallway where Ruby and Weiss took off. As he moves towards the corner of the wall, turning right, he glares at a bunch of students eavesdropping on the two. The glare itself is enough to shoo the students away to their respective classes. Nyter takes a seat on the cold floor, listening in on the conversation. He isn't eavesdropping, but rather watching their tones to make sure nothing escalates.**

[W] "You're supposed to be a leader, and all you've been so far is a nuisance!"

 **Ruby scoffs in response, immediately replying with,** "What did I do?!"

[W] "That's just it. You've done _nothing_ to earn your position. Back in the forest, you acted like a child and you've only continued to do so."

[Ru] "Weiss, where is all this coming from…? I thought you believed in working together and acting as a team?"

[W] "Not a team led by you. I've studied, I've trained, and quite frankly, I deserve better. Ozpin made a mistake."

 **As if by cue, Nyter looks up to find Ozpin heading his way towards Ruby, giving a sly wink to Nyter. Weiss left the scene, travelling to a balcony outside. Ozpin walked up to Ruby and began to converse with her.**

[O] "Hmm. Now that didn't go so well."

[Ru] "Is she right…? Did you make a mistake?"

 **With a small chuckle, Ozpin replies,** "That remains to be seen." **Nyter couldn't take it anymore. He had to interject.**

[R] Leave her be. Just wait for her. I know you want to make her feel better, but she has to do _some_ things without you. You don't always have to teach her everything.

 **Nyter eased his restlessness and continued to sit down out of sight.**

[O] "Ruby, it hasn't been so long since I've made you leader of team RWBY."

[Ru] "What do you mean?"

[O] "I mean it's only been one day. Ruby, I've made more mistakes than any man, woman, and child on this planet. But at this moment, I would not consider your appointment to leader to be one of them. Do you?"

 **A long pause ensues. Nyter suggests to himself that Ruby is making either a shrug, a nod, or a shake of the head. As Ozpin continues to give Ruby advice, he notices a swift movement out of the corner of his eye. Instinctively, Nyter shifts his gaze to the left, staring down the hallway. Standing on his legs, he travels quietly down the hall, listening to any movement shuffling. Nyter glues himself to the wall, taking up as little space as possible. Peering his head out of the corner, he bumps it into one of the students who attended Port's lecture.**

[?] "Oww! Sorry! I didn't mean to-"

[N] "My bad. I mistook you for a robber. Perhaps a murderer. You're no bounty hunter, are you?"

[?] "Uh… No?"

[N] "Just a joke. What are you doing sleuthing around? You almost gave me a heart attack."

[?] "Professor Nyter, I-"

 **Nyter held up a hand to immediately stop the girl's speech. Taking a good look at her, she appeared to have a pastel-blue pigment of hair, with complimentary orange eyes. She had a fairly short stature but seemed to a bit taller than Ruby.**

[N] "Hold it right there. I'm no professor. 'Nyter' is just fine."

[?] "Sorry… um, Nyter, I attended the lecture, and I wanted to ask a few questions about your story."

[N] "Sure."

[?] "Okay, so…"

 **The student rifles through her notebook. Apparently, she took notes while Nyter was talking.**

[?] "How long ago did this happen?"

[N] "Oh man. Let's see… I'd say about… a year and a half? It was fairly recent, considering my age."

[?] "Okay, and… hold on, let me find it…"

 **Nyter noticed that she had a habit of cutting herself off before stating anything further.**

[?] "You said he had black hair and hazel eyes, right?"

[N] "If my poor memory serves me correctly, yes."

[?] "Alright. Nyter, I think… I think you found a relative of mine. An assassin, residing in Mistral, black hair with blue eyes, along with a black rose pin on his left shoulder… the description is perfect."

[N] "Not to be rude, but this has to do with me how, exactly?"

[?] "I've been looking for him for quite a while, now. Well, not me specifically… but my family, back in Mistral."

[N] "I'm afraid I won't be much help to you. I put that guy in custody a long time ago. He could be rotting in an international jail right about now."

[?] "So you didn't kill him?"

[N] "Of course not."

[?] "Oh no…"

[N] "What?"

[?] "Nyter, you should have."

[N] "Should have what?"

[?] "Killed him!"

[N] "What, are you saying he's on the loose again?"

[?] "That's exactly what I'm saying."

[N] "Well, I don't know what you want me to do about it. I can't just hitch a ride to Mistral and try to find some ruthless hitman that apparently broke out of prison."

[?] "You don't have to. All I needed was confirmation that he was actually the person in your story, and that he's still alive. I've got my family in Mistral who is going to take care of the rest."

[N] "What do you mean by 'take care', exactly?"

[?] "They're going to kill him."

[N] "Is that so? Why is this guy so important to your family?"

[?] "This guy isn't your average joe. He's changed his name quite a bit, actually. He probably went by some ridiculous foreign name back when you captured him. His real name is Griffon Black."

[N] "Griffon Black?"

[?] "Yes. He's killed a lot more than just twenty people at the time you put him in jail. It's probably triple digits by now."

[N] "You're kidding me…"

[?] "He has ties to my family, specifically. South of Mistral, we were a clan of over two hundred members living in a small self-sustained village. Griffon was also raised there. But, something happened to him… His aura turned from our traditional light-blue to a deep black. It's almost as if something had infected his very soul. This happened when he was just a teenager, and I wasn't even born yet. He was bullied, shunned, and abused by his family for his tainted aura, and when he couldn't handle it, he slaughtered well over half of the village and burned it to the ground. We haven't heard from him since. That is, until you just told that story. Rumors in Mistral were that Griffon had popped up on the radar, turning to a life of assassination. Now I can confirm that the rumors are true. Thank you, Nyter. Your help is very much appreciated."

[N] "Uh, sure, no problem. He seems like quite the assassin. Are you sure your family can take him out?"

[?] "That's what I'm afraid of… He isn't an amateur, like you said. He's a cold-blooded murderer."

[N] "I'll tell you what. I've been wanting to go back to Mistral for a long time now. If you keep me updated on the situation, and end up getting any concrete evidence that he's escaped and currently killing any more people, I'll personally find a way to Mistral and track him down again. I'll get my revenge on him."

[?] "Are… are you sure about that?"

[N] "I took him down once. I can do it again."

[?] "Nyter… You're simply astounding. Here, this is my scroll number. I'll contact you with any new information. My name is Skye."

[N] "Nice to meet you, Skye. I must warn you… You're playing intel, now. If you're going to give me any information, don't do it over the scroll. Just tell me to meet you somewhere. If he's out there again, I bet he's gonna come looking for me. Don't leave any traces of our conversations."

[S] "Got it. I've gotta move to my next class. See you later, Nyter."

 **Skye shakes Nyter's hand and briskly walks in the opposite direction. Nyter places his hand against the back of his head, rubbing his hair.**

[N] This is gonna get wild, isn't it?

[R] Adventure!

[G] This happened before we were introduced, correct?

[N] Yes, back when I was under the rule of that organization. I don't remember too much about it, though. Just bits and pieces, like that story. You know how I am.

 **Turning around, Nyter almost bumped into Ozpin, who seemed to be watching over his entire conversation.**

[N] "Whoa, there. Almost spilled your coffee. How long have you been behind me?"

[O] "Long enough to give you a fair warning. I know you like to play the mysterious hero, but this situation is different. If you go to Mistral on this manhunt, you have a very high possibility of not coming back."

[N] "I took this guy down before, what's different now? I'm older, stronger, and I don't make the same careless mistakes."

[O] "If what Skye says is true, then you didn't stand a chance in the first place. Tell me, Nyter, do you know who Griffon Black is?"

[N] "Never heard of him."

[O] "Then you don't know what you're dealing with. I would advise you to not take up this mission. I feel as though Griffon Black _let_ himself be captured by you."

[N] "What? Why would he do that?"

[O] "Testing you, perhaps."

[N] "What do I have to do with him?"

[O] "That's the question, isn't it? One that I would not particularly want to see the answer to. Griffon Black is a dangerous individual, Nyter."

[N] "How do you know about him? You act as though you've known him personally."

[O] "That's because I do."

[N] "Then what's the problem? Just tell me his weaknesses and I'll be done in a jiffy."

 **With a heavy sigh, Ozpin sips from his mug.**

[O] "If you truly wish to find this man, I won't stop you. You're not in my command anymore. However, I would like for this to happen while school is not in session. You've got a team to attend to, and you've taken the task of protecting them. That takes precedence. You can't go off to your doom without acquainting yourself with them first."

[N] "Understood. If this does turn out to become something big, I'll begin whenever school is out. It'll probably take me a few weeks, anyway."

 **With a nod, Ozpin leaves in the same fashion as always. Eyes straight ahead, shoulders lax, back straight.**

[R] I know… He's an android!

[N] Ozpin?

[R] Look at the way he walks! Tell me that isn't an android. All mechanical and stuff.

[N] Androids aren't that relaxed. They also don't drink coffee.

[R] Maybe he's drinking hot oil.

[N] Maybe you have the IQ of a doll.

[G] Good one.

 **Nyter feels a tap on his shoulder. Snapping back to reality once more, he stares back at the person grabbing his attention. Ruby looked back up at him quizzically, but she appeared to be in a better mood.**

[Ru] "So… You're a teacher's aid?"

[N] "Yep. No time for talking. You've gotta get to class. Go go go, shoo! You don't want to late to your classes. You've got less than two minutes left."

 **Nyter comically began to shoo his hands in the general direction of what he believed to be Ruby's next class.**

[Ru] "I'm gonna be asking you questions. You better answer 'em."

 **Ruby began to quickly jog to her next class. Nyter looked at his watch, gathering that he only had one minute to walk back to Port's classroom. His schedule was as follows: at 9:00, assist Peter Port in his classroom. At 10:00, assist his class once more. 11:00 is the lunch break, lasting for forty minutes. 12:00 is Nyter's period to assist Oobleck. 1:00 is back to Oobleck's class. 2:00 is assisting with Goodwitch's aura conditioning class. Nyter is then left off to his own devices, leaving an hour and a half earlier than other students. Continuing to the present, Nyter decides to walk back into Port's class. The rest of the day moves quite slowly for Nyter, as he simply repeats exactly what happened in the previous class. During such times as these, where things fail to grasp his attention enough to retain an actual memory of what's going on, Nyter goes on autopilot. His body acts according to a pattern, adopting a finite number of programmed responses to questions, and overall acting on instinct. None of what actually occurs sticks to him. He moves as a unit, while his mind is somewhere else completely. The only occurrence that snapped him away from his autopilot was lunchtime, where Ruby was seen eating with the rest of the RWBY crew. Nyter noticed her laughing and brought himself out of his own thoughts. He looked around the room, noticing the grandeur display. It was quite the cafeteria. Nyter compared it to something out of a grand academy, before realizing he was indeed enrolled into an academy.**

[R] Uh _huh._

[N] What?

[R] I thought so.

[N] What? Was I on autopilot again?

[R] Yep. And guess who snapped you out of it.

[N] You're right. I'm plainly in love with the girl. We should marry each other and run off to Mistral so we can raise our children in an environment where gold surpasses the value of life.

[R] Sounds good to me.

[N] I've already told you why I'm interested in her. Every time I look into her eyes, I feel some sort of connection. I know that something's up. I just have to remember…

 **Galer produced a sigh.**

[G] Nyter, you don't have to keep chasing your memories. Some are best left forgotten.

[N] Easy for you to say. You don't constantly have something knocking inside your head every hour of the day. In any case, I think my body is conditioned to just pay attention to her for some reason. Like I'm supposed to guard her anytime I'm around her.

[G] This specific memory isn't something you want to remember. I promise you that.

[N] What, is this the same one that has to do with what came up this morning? Come on. What do I look like, some unstable teenager?

[G] I don't know if you're going to be able to handle it, Nyter. You forced yourself to forget, and for good reason.

[N] Oh well. I'll find out eventually.

 **Nyter watched Ruby from afar, eating his lunch food. He hadn't particularly taken interest in the quality of food in general. Anything with enough nutritional value was adequate for Nyter. He usually has meals in the form of MRE's, canned goods, or other preserved foods with nutrition. This cafeteria food was far beyond what Nyter was used to eating, so he at least took time to finish his meal. After he was finished, he stopped by Ruby's table and sat down.**

[N] "Hey guys."

[Y] "YOU!"

 **Yang stabbed a fork in Nyter's direction, almost flinging her chicken in his face. Nyter slowly raised his hands above his head in defense.**

[N] "... Me?"

[Y] "Yesh!"

 **Yang angrily chomped on her piece of chicken.**

[N] "Uh, what did I do this time?"

[Y] "You-!"

 **Once again, Yang's fork pierced Nyter's direction.**

[Y] "You, Nyter, have some explaining to do!"

[N] "Is that so?"

 **Nyter placed his hands behind his head and leaned back.**

[N] "What if I don't wanna?"

[Y] "Then I'll beat it outta ya!"

 **Adopting a churlish slang, Nyter gave a sassy rebuttal.**

[N] "I ain't tellin' you _nothin'!_ If you keep stickin' that fork in mah face, I'll stick it where it don't belong!"

 **The table appeared silent, even the offender on the other side.**

[N] "Ahem. My bad. Got a bit defensive there."

[J] "Do you… do that often?"

[N] "Nah. Just thought I'd match her silly mouth with my own."

[Y] "I thought you were a student? Why did you do that exercise with us if you're not gonna be taking any classes?"

 **Yang's tone changed for whatever reason, being a bit more quizzical than accusatory.**

[N] "Yeah, I thought I was too. Truth is, Ozpin just kinda sprung it up on me."

[Y] "Well what's all this stuff about 'combat expertise' and 'fearless leadership' that I keep hearing Oz and Port say about you?"

[N] "Ehh…"

 **Rubbing his hair, Nyter surveyed the listeners. Ruby, Weiss, Jaune, Pyrrha, Blake, Nora, and Yang.**

[N] I don't think I feel comfortable explaining all this to them. Maybe my own team, but certainly not to someone else's.

[N] "I'll tell ya when we get back to the dorm. I've got some work to do. Good chat, though!"

 **Nyter quickly made an escape, providing a groan from Yang. Traveling down the halls, he had found the room number where Professor Oobleck resided. Staring inside, he saw a room similar to Ports, except there was much more clutter across the professor's desk. His whiteboard was replaced with a large overlay of Remnant, the current world they reside in. Strewn across the map were several documents, all pinned together with red string.**

[N] This is like something a mad conspiracy theorist would have.

 **Making quiet steps, Nyter began to approach the professor, groveling in his messy work. Stacks upon stacks of paper were messily placed on the desk, along with other miscellaneous items. The professor in question was mumbling an incoherent phrase to himself, causing Nyter to be wary in his entrance. No matter how silent Nyter's steps were, the professor looked up from his desk and straightened his glasses. His green hair was messy, sticking straight in the air. Half of his shirt was tucked in, while the other half remained limp over his waist. There was a single bright-yellow tie covering his white dress shirt, which was missing the top button.**

[Oo] "Haha! You must be Nyter! Excellent, very excellent. You're a bit early, though."

 **Oobleck's voice was rushed, which often resulted in him slurring a few of his words together. It wasn't until Oobleck stood from his seat that Nyter realized how tall the man was. Standing at just over six and a half feet tall, he completely diminished Nyter, who was almost an entire foot shorter.**

[N] "Oobleck, I presume?"

[Oo] "Correct! Your timing is actually impeccable, Nyter. There's a riddle here that I just can't solve."

[N] "A riddle?"

[N] He gave me the impression he was stressfully working on something. But he's just caught up in a riddle…?

[Oo] "Yes, a riddle! I was on my lunch break when I opened the paper and went to the comics. There was a riddle on one of the pages, and I've been wracking my brain trying to figure it out!"

[N] "I don't think I'm going to be much help to you."

[Oo] "Preposterous! From what Ozpin has told me, you're a grade A strategist, you should be able to solve this in no time!"

[N] "I don't really appreciate Ozpin telling so many people how great I am. It's kind of a burden to live up to people's expectations. I'm going to let you know right now that I'm truly awful at riddles."

 **Nyter was speaking the truth. He can remember so many occasions where a simple riddle was spoken to him, only for him to rub his head in confusion and give up. Nyter has not solved a single riddle ever told him. That kind of fluid thinking is a bit beyond Nyter's grasp.**

[Oo] "I think you're just humbling yourself, Nyter!"

[N] "No, really. I'm tragically awful at riddles. And it's _only_ riddles. I can solve any kind of puzzle in a few minutes, no matter how difficult. But for some reason, when it comes to riddles… I just lose my mind. I can try to help, though, I guess."

[Oo] "Wonderful! It's quite a long one, so be prepared. Now, here's what it says… 'On the top of the tallest mountain are three men. There is the ambitious man, filled with purpose and intent. There is the happy man, filled with joy and richness of life. And there is the wise man, who knows the terrible and beautiful truths of the world. They each hold a key. The ambitious man says "I hold the key to the door of willpower." The happy man says "I hold the key to the door of peace." And the wise man says "I hold the key to the door of truth." A thousand times a thousand years pass, and there is no life, and the mountain has crumbled to a pile of dust, upon which rests a single massive key. Whose key is it?'"

[N] "You've got to be kidding me…"

[N] There's no way I'm solving that.

[R] Geez, that's a mouthful.

[G] What a stupid riddle. Too easy.

[N/R] What?! **Nyter and Rodger asked simultaneously.**

[G] Honestly, it's all just the way it's worded. That, and it relies on a philosophical principle.

[N] Then what's the answer?

[G] What, you want me to just tell you?

[N] Yes!

[G] Hmmm… Where's the fun in that? This is supposed to be a riddle. You should figure it out.

[N] Galer. Galer Tundra. Tell me the answer.

[G] What are you gonna do? Shoot me?

[N] Since when did you become so silly?

[G] That riddle put me in a goofy mood. I solved cases as a day job. And night job. I always got loopy when I figured something out.

[N] I think I liked serious Galer more.

[G] Oh well. Not telling you the answer. Figure it out.

[N] You're awful.

[N] "Sorry, Oobleck. I can't think of anything."

[Oo] "Gah! This is truly something amazing… I've never been stumped this much by a riddle in years! What a magnificent discovery…"

[N] He certainly seems a bit… Eccentric.

[G] Seems like your average madman to me. Reminds me a lot of myself. The way he toils over the solution.

 **Oobleck continued to stare down the paper, as if staring long enough would produce a hint of sorts.**

[Oo] "Blast, look at the time. Class is almost ready to begin. Well, Nyter, could you do me a favor and write down the readings on the board? I've got them right here."

 **Oobleck handed Nyter a crumpled loose leaf sheet of paper, with the numbers "56-78" shoddily written on the front, barely legible. Nyter glances at the board, wondering where he could write this information, and with what instrument.**

[N] "Where do you… Where do you want me to write this? And what do I use? That's a frieze, I can't really write on it."

[Oo] "Just write it big on a few sheets of paper and stick it up there. I must greet the students!"

 **Oobleck zooms past Nyter in a flurry, opening the door for the students entering the room. Nyter grabs a nearby utensil and a few sheets of paper, writing "56" very largely on one sheet, and "- 78" on another sheet. Finding a thumbtack, he places the two sheets on the board where the land isn't bulging from the surface.**

[N] That's legible enough.

[Oo] "Hello students, and welcome to my classroom! I am Bartholomew Oobleck, but you may refer to me as _Doctor_ Oobleck. I better not catch you slipping, I didn't earn the doctorate for nothing!"

 **Nyter, taking a seat behind Oobleck's large and cluttered desk, closed his eyes. Nyter goes into a near-sleep-like state when this occurs, only moving or responding when he hears his name being called or he's being touched. This is done to make time go by a bit faster, as he's left to his own thoughts for a while. Thankfully, Nyter isn't called on to make an introduction this time. After some time has passed, he feels a tap on his shoulder, causing him to act on reflex, immediately standing upright and grasping the offender's hand with his. The sheer force of his movement sent Oobleck's chair barreling the opposite direction, slamming against the wall. Nyter looked around, just now realizing what he had done. Oobleck's hand was firmly grasped with his. Students leaving the classroom opened their mouths in shock, and some came back inside to view the ruckus. Oobleck's face also widened, with his spectacles barely hanging from his face. Nyter retracted his grip softly.**

[N] "Doctor, I… I'm so-"

[Oo] "By the heavens! Your speed, your reaction time, simply astounding, Mr. Nyter! Able to catch even the likes of me within your grasp! In any case, the class has been dismissed. Good work!"

[N] "Uh… thanks?"

[Oo] "Now, while we wait for the next class to come, why don't we try to solve this riddle?"

 **With a deep sigh of relief, Nyter let out a small chuckle.**

[N] Maybe I shouldn't try to do that in class.

[R] You almost lost it for a second. Talk about triggered.

[N] "I really have nothing to offer for this riddle. It is completely beyond me."

[Oo] "The reflexes of a cat, but the wit of an ox? Hm… I'll have to find the solution myself it seems."

 **Nyter grabbed the chair that slammed against the wall, bringing it back to its original position under the desk. Nyter leaned against the board, crossing his arms and his feet, closing his eyes once again. This time he paid attention, listening to the sounds around him. For ten minutes, he had to listen to Oobleck curse in odd ways, letting out his frustrations from the confounding riddle. And so, Nyter waited. Students came in to attend the next lecture, and luckily, he was not called upon to introduce himself. Although Nyter knew that the sight of a strange kid in black leather armor with closed eyes and a relaxed pose was sketchy, he didn't mind. He had enough attention at this point, including human interaction. He was drained. As soon as Nyter heard the words,** "Class dismissed!" **he briskly walked to Glynda Goodwitch's training class. Searching through the halls, he came across a large auditorium. The room was shaped almost like a colosseum, with a large stage in front acting as the arena. Nyter had assumed he walked into the right place since Glynda was seen on the stage, reading her clipboard. Making his way towards her, she glanced in his direction, caught by his movement. Her golden hair is placed on her left shoulder, flowing over her chest. Rodger and Nyter feel a new sensation coming from Galer.**

[R] Whoa whoa whoa, is Galer producing human emotions signaling attraction to another human being?! And here I thought you were as robotic as Nyter!

 **Galer refuses to respond, or rather, is too focused to respond.**

[R] He's not even listening to me. What a shame. At least he doesn't deny it, like you.

[N] I'm not good with emotions. You know why I have a tendency to block them out. Certain ones, at least.

[Gl] "Ah, Nyter. It is wonderful to meet you one-on-one. I'm looking forward to having you assist me during this crucial class period. I've heard a lot about you."

 **Nyter let out a small groan in contest to her statement.**

[N] "Not to be rude, professor, but I've kind of heard that phrase all day. I'm just a normal guy. No need for any exceeding expectations of me. I'm just trying to become a hunter, like the rest of the students."

[Gl] "'Just a normal guy'? You humble yourself too greatly, Nyter. Ozpin has briefed me on your good deeds, and the successful missions he's had due to you alone."

[N] "A team would have failed the mission. I had to go in alone. It's not that special. Not that I disliked it. The solitude was nice. In any case, this is definitely going to be my favorite class period."

[Gl] "I'm glad to hear it. Would you be so kind as to head to the control panel for the stage lights? I need someone controlling them while I'm here on the stage."

[N] "I can't promise that I'll be good at it, or even remotely know what I'm doing, but I'll figure it out."

 **Glynda smiled in response, prompting Galer to pay more attention.**

[G] What a woman.

[R] Didn't you have a wife or something?

[G] Divorced.

[R] Oh…

 **Much to Galer's content, Rodger remained silent. Nyter headed towards the back of the room to the control panel, which looked completely foreign to him.**

[N] Let's see… What does this button do?

 **With the push of a small red knob, one of the stage lights came on. Glynda held a thumbs up, indicating that Nyter did something right. Nyter pressed the button once again, returning the previous lighting.**

[N] So many other buttons… Hopefully, this is the only one I need to press.

[R] You should quit your student life and become a full-time stage director.

[N] Very funny.

 **Glynda motioned for Nyter to return to the stage, to which he promptly followed.**

[Gl] "That's all I need you to do. Class is about to begin, so would you join me on the stage while I prep everyone on the course expectations?"

[N] "As long as I don't have to do a lengthy introduction, sure."

[Gl] "I'd like for you to at least introduce yourself, Nyter."

[N] "Fine. But don't expect a speech."

[Gl] "Thank you."

 **Nyter nodded and waited for the students to enter the classroom. He noticed several previous class members, including Jaune, Pyrrha, the RWBY team, and a few others he recognized from previous classes. As soon as all students were inside the classroom, Glynda began her introductions.**

[Gl] "Hello students, and welcome to your aura conditioning course. In this class, we will be discussing the appropriate ways to manage and gauge your aura usage on the battlefield, as well as providing occasional duels between students to see who's learned the most. Standing to my left is my assistant for this course, Nyter. Would you please introduce yourself to the class?"

 **With a small sigh, Nyter walked forward.**

[N] "Hey guys. I've seen half of you already, so I'll keep it brief. My name's Nyter, and I'm the teacher's assistant in this class. Come to me if you have any questions. Or if you want to spar. I believe I'm going to be a bit more hands-on in this class, rather than the others. It's my job, along with Professor Goodwitch, to train you to become proper warriors. Don't hesitate to come to me personally if you need help training, as sparring is one of my favorite activities. I have a lot I can teach you."

 **Bowing to the students, Nyter returned to his original position.**

[Gl] "Now, then. Let us go over our expectations for this class. There is to be no unnecessary fighting. All duels will be regulated by me and Nyter. There will be no written tests, I will gather what you've learned based on how you act during your duels. Luckily for this class, you will have two grades, one from me and one from Nyter. This may influence your score negatively or positively, based on the different values. I expect you to listen as I'm talking, and not to distract yourself or your peers during lectures. If you open your scrolls, you can see that there is a green bar below your name. This bar is directly correlated to your aura. The more your aura drains, the more this bar will go down accordingly."

 **Nyter takes a look at his scroll as well as the students. His bar had additional segments after the first, which he assumed is what Ozpin meant by being made to his specifications.**

[Gl] "I cannot stress this enough, students. _Always_ make sure you're paying attention to your aura during combat. For dueling purposes, your aura will be displayed on both your scroll and the wall behind me."

 **Nyter puts his hands behind his back, surveying the classroom. They all seem to be capable warriors, aside from Jaune, who seems to be flustered any time Glynda mentions the word "duel". Listening to the rest of Glynda's lecture, he patiently waits for the class to end.**

[Gl] "Now, allow me to demonstrate the aura synchronization to your scroll. Nyter, would you be so kind as to travel to the other end of the stage? We will be preparing a mock-duel for the students."

[N] "Sure."

 **Nyter walked to the other end of the stage, standing opposite of Glynda. Looking up, he can see Glynda's aura bar appear, along with his own to the right. Nyter's aura bar was clearly larger, with the two additional segments providing a few whispers from the audience.**

[N] There's about fifteen feet of distance between us. I have no idea what kind of weapon she has, it looks to be some sort of riding crop. Is it ranged? Could I close the distance before she has time to strike first? If she is indeed a ranged fighter, what approach would be best? Should I close distance as soon as possible, or wait for an attack and then go in? Hm… Let's say her attacks are ranged. I'll wait for her to project something, then travel to her left. If she manages to attack again, I'll zag to the right. By that time, I would be close enough for a melee hit, but I'd have to use my fists.

[R] Uh, Nyter… It's a mock duel. This is just a demonstration. You don't have to take it so seriously.

[N] Sorry. Force of habit.

[Gl] "Good. Nyter, would you make the first hit?"

[N] "You want me to just hit you?"

[Gl] "Yes, this is just to demonstrate the synchronization of our auras to our scrolls. Don't worry, I can take it."

[N] "Uh… If you say so."

[Gl] "Where is your weapon?"

[N] "Currently not on me.

 **Nyter awkwardly walked forward and reared his fist for an uppercut. The attack hit Glynda's abdomen, which provided a slight gasp from her, but nothing more.**

[Gl] "As you can see above, my aura shifted downwards. This means that your synchronization is working properly. Right now, my aura is still green. However, once your aura reaches into the red, you must cease fighting immediately. If you fail to do so in this class, I will intervene and you will gain severe negative marks to your grade, possibly even expulsion if you were reckless enough. To make sure Nyter's aura is also properly synchronized, I will return a hit. Are you ready, Nyter?"

[N] Oh God. Does she know that my aura is a special case? I wonder if my manual shield will work. I'll have to watch where her attack lands.

[N] "Yeah, I'm ready."

 **Glynda raised her riding crop and struck downwards. Nyter cast a protective shield across his right arm, which he used to block the blow. The impact was enough to propel him backward a few feet, which thoroughly surprised him.**

[Gl] "Nyter's aura has now drained, proving that his synchronization is functional. We will be doing this for each student today, just to make sure your auras are properly synced. I will randomly assign you each a partner, and you will each step up to the stage and perform this same mock-duel. This is so you can review the rules, and be prepared for the actual duels when they come."

 **Glynda began calling names by pairs, while Nyter closed his eyes for a bit. His short attention span can sometimes get the better of him, as demonstrated by the incident with Oobleck. Suddenly, he hears his name being called.**

[Gl] "Nyter. Nyter? … Nyter!"

 **Snapping his eyes open, he turns his attention to Glynda.**

[Gl] "It seems that we have an odd number of students, so you're going to have to pair with the last one. Ruby, I believe. Stand next to her and wait until your names are called. You're going to be the last pair, so I suggest you watch the others carefully in the meantime and make sure nothing goes wrong."

[N] "Alright."

 **Nyter walked off stage, taking his position next to Ruby, who stared at him strangely.**

[N] "Looks like I'm your partner."

[Ru] "Try not to break my legs, okay?"

[N] "Try not to cut me in half."

 **Ruby let out a snicker and watched the other participants. One by one, each pair walked to the stage and delivered one blow each, testing the aura sync. Not a single sync was faulty, much to Glynda's delight.**

[Gl] "Alright, last pair of the day. Will Ruby Rose and Nyter- Nyter, do you have a last name?"

 **Nyter responded with a slight, awkward shake of his head.**

[Gl] "Well, will Ruby Rose and Nyter please step up to the stage?"

 **Ruby and Nyter walk to the stage and split, putting fifteen feet of distance between them, as instructed. Nyter raised his fists, and Ruby equipped her scythe.**

[N] "I know this is only the first day of class, but can I do a little experiment, professor?"

[Gl] "What kind of experiment?"

[N] "You can see that my aura is a bit higher than everyone else in the room, including yours. I want to see how much my opponent can take down in one blow."

 **Ruby's face widened, and she mouthed the words "Why?" to Nyter. He shrugged in response, holding his hands outwards.**

[Gl] "I suppose. I don't really see the point, but as long as it won't impede our time, it's fine."

[N] "Alright, Ruby. Give it your best shot. Don't hold back."

[Ru] "You wish."

[N] "Come on, then."

[Ru] "You first."

[N] "I made the invitation, it's rude not to accept."

[Ru] "If you say so."

 **Before Nyter could even react to her next statement, she appeared in front of him, catching his breath. Due to her moving impossibly quickly, Nyter had almost no time at all to react. In this short breadth of time, Nyter had only one instinctive action, which was to move into her attack with one of his own. Moving with equal quickness, Nyter braced himself against the handle of her scythe. He then grabbed Ruby's left hand with his right, and, looking into her surprised glare, twisted it counter-clockwise. This sudden counterattack had obviously caught Ruby off-guard, as she let out a quick gasp. Nyter, now knowing that he had control of the situation, disarmed Ruby as he twisted her arm further in his direction. Buying himself time to react, he was able to then propel his knee upwards towards Ruby's abdomen. Ruby appeared to have grasped her situation and chose to dash away from Nyter's grasp, forcing herself to let go of her weapon. Nyter held Crescent Rose in his left hand, bearing it over his shoulder.**

[Ru] "You tell me to go first, and then you take my weapon?"

[N] "You surprised me. Reflex."

 **Nyter tossed the scythe back to Ruby, surprised at its weight.**

[N] "Just a normal strike is fine, no flashy stuff."

 **Ruby scoffed with a smirk, and firmly grasped Crescent Rose.**

[Ru] "Well, here goes."

 **Ruby loaded in a gravity clip, to which Nyter responded by bracing his arms together and forming a thick forcefield with his aura. Ruby lifted her scythe in the air and discharged a shot, bringing the scythe down directly on Nyter's projected field. As soon as it struck, a massive shockwave entered Nyter's body, nearly breaking his arms, even through the protection of his forcefield.**

[N] She's stronger than she looks!

 **Nyter saw his shield crack, almost splintering into pieces.**

[N] She took down almost one entire segment on her own. With one hit. That's pretty good. Not that I have any comparisons, since I've never had an actual gauge of my aura.

[N] "Not bad. That's quite a bit. Now it's my turn."

[Ru] "Don't tell me you're also going to do the same…"

[N] "Would you like me to hit you easy, medium, or hard?"

[Ru] "I'll take medium. As long as it won't kill me."

[N] "No promises."

 **Nyter slowly walked forward, closing all the distance between them. He rose his left hand, half closed, unassumingly, and held it in front of Ruby's face.**

[Ru] "Uh…"

[N] "Ready?"

[Ru] "Yeah…"

 **Nyter suddenly closed his fist, prompting a grimace from Ruby. He then placed his middle finger on his thumb and flicked her forehead. The small force caused her to stumble, but she was otherwise unharmed. Looking up at her aura, a very small portion was lost, but it still surprising to see the amount that a simple flick of his hand caused.**

[Ru] "That was a bit anticlimactic…"

[N] "I can punch you in the face, if you'd like."

[Ru] "I think I'm good."

[Gl] "Very good, both of you. That concludes our class for today. I'll see you again tomorrow. Be prepared, because two of you will be dueling tomorrow."

 **With a wave, Nyter began to move away from the stage, leaving Ruby staring back at him.**

[N] "See you at the dorm! I'll be there. Doing… whatever it is I do."

 **He heard a final scoff from Ruby before exiting the room. Nyter decided to make his way back to his room immediately and rest for a bit. Making his way to the dorm, he passed by Ozpin, who gave him another wink, as he is apt to do. Shaking off the feeling of Ozpin's omnipotence, Nyter approached his door and noticed it was locked.**

[N] Uh… Did Oz ever give me a key?

[R] I dunno, check your pockets.

 **Nyter did as he was told, but found nothing of importance.**

[N] Oh well. Guess I'll just wait here.

 **Nyter sat against the door, slumping down. He bent one leg and placed the other beneath it, as this was the most comfortable position for him. He had learned to never keep his legs locked as he was resting, just to ensure that even blood flow was distributed. He figured that at some point, one of his teammates would wake him from his pseudo-slumber in order to enter the room. And so, Nyter rested, contemplating his choices of the day. As an hour passed, he heard his name being called.**

[W] "Nyter…? What are you doing in front of the door?"

 **Breathing a small sigh of annoyance at the one who disturbed him, he simply stood and asked if she had a key.**

[R] What, you'd prefer if it was Ruby who disturbed you?

[N] _Anyone_ would have been preferable to her.

[W] "Um… We use our scrolls to unlock the door, dolt."

[N] "Can you show me how to do it, then?"

 **Obviously taken aback by the request, she simply nodded and pressed her scroll to the small bar above the door handle.**

[W] "That's all you have to do. How long have you been sitting here?"

[N] "Ever since Goodwitch's class ended. What, has it been that long?"

[W] "Just an hour, but still… How could you just sit here and do nothing for so long?"

[N] "I guess I could have been more productive, but oh well. Thank you for opening the door for me."

[W] "... You're welcome."

 **She opened the door, leaving it open for Nyter. Looking at Ruby's bed, he noticed that it was actually finished. It was held by several ropes attached to the ceiling. He closed the door and called out to Weiss.**

[N] "Hey, Weiss?"

[W] "Yeah?"

[N] "Do you really hate Ruby?"

[W] "I… I already talked to Professor Port about it. I realize how much I did wrong. It was a mistake of me to make an outburst like that. I don't hate Ruby."

[N] "I see. I'm glad tensions aren't high. I'm going to be silently working on things. I'll be on Ruby's bed, there's quite a draft on the floor."

[W] "Why didn't you help us put up her bed? It was difficult with just four of us. A fifth helper would have been nice."

[N] "I honestly didn't expect you guys to be successful. I left before disaster could happen. Nice job, though. It looks very unstable, but I think it'll work."

 **Weiss scoffed at his response but left it at that. She grabbed a chair from one of the tables, pulled a book out from her backpack, and began studying.**

[N] "I admire your dedication to academia, but studying so early in the day? Are you planning to do this for the rest of today?"

[W] "Just for a bit. I want to get rid of the readings as soon as possible."

[N] "Understandable."

 **Nyter jumped up to Ruby's unstable bedding, causing it sway back and forth. It still remained attached, so Nyter guessed it was okay to lie on for a bit. Nyter took off his cuirass, leaving only his white shirt and leather leggings. Placing his hands behind his head, he closed his eyes.**

[W] "So that's your idea of working?"

[N] "Gimme a break. I've stood in front of crowds of people all day. My social cues are exhausted. I need to rest for a bit."

 **Weiss ignored his rebuttal and continued reading.**

[Ru] "Hello Teeeeeaam RWBY!"

 **Ruby swung open the door with Yang and Blake in tow. Nyter greeted them with a wave from Ruby's bed.**

[Y] "What are you doing in my sister's bed, you creep?!"

[N] "Creep? I'm just as young as she is, plus we're on the same team. And she invited me to this bed, thank you very much."

[Ru] "It's okay, Yang. He doesn't have a bed. Would you rather him sleep in your bed?"

[Y] "Yes. Yes I would."

 **Ruby sighed at the response, not really sure what she expected.**

[Ru] "Aaaaanyway, how did our first day of school go?"

 **While the team recounted their day, Nyter realized he'd forgotten the ID cards.**

[N] "Oh, I've got a present for you guys."

[Y] "A present?"

[N] "Yeah, hang on."

 **Nyter slipped off Ruby's bed and opened the door to his room. He grabbed the ID cards on the floor and distributed them to their rightful owners.**

[Y] "What are these?"

 **Nyter proceeded to explain how the cards worked, and how each grade was calculated.**

[B] "I don't know if I personally like my abilities being constantly graded, but thank you nonetheless."

[N] "This is all so you can see what needs improving. At least, from my own standpoint. You can choose to completely ignore it if you want to."

[Y] "I think mine's pretty good."

Yang Xiao Long: B (3.18 CPA)  
Strength: A+  
Strategy: C  
Finesse: C  
Intelligence: C+  
Speed: C  
Constitution: S  
Adaptability: B+  
Independence: A

[B] "My scores are fair, I suppose."

Blake Belladonna: B (3.0 CPA)  
Strength: C  
Strategy: B  
Finesse: S  
Intelligence: A  
Speed: A  
Constitution: C  
Adaptability: D  
Independence: B

[W] "Why do I have the lowest score out of everyone?!"

Weiss Schnee: C++ (2.85 CPA)  
Strength: D  
Strategy: B  
Finesse: A+  
Intelligence: B++  
Speed: B  
Constitution: C+  
Adaptability: C  
Independence: B

[N] "You didn't have an outstanding trait that stood out to me. However, your semblance is what makes you utterly powerful, therefore your base stats are going to suffer for it. It's not bad at all, you just have to rely on your semblance more than others. You are definitely a capable fighter on the battlefield, don't take your lower score to heart."

 **Weiss grumbled, but otherwise appeared a little contented by his words. As the others compared scores, Nyter had also realized he didn't train today. He bid the team farewell and took his business outside, where he traveled to the rose garden. There, he spent his remaining time projecting various weapons, and even began with harder projects, such as greatswords and larger weaponry.**

[G] Why bother with the large arms? You prefer smaller weaponry that you can use with one hand each.

[N] Sometimes that isn't enough. If I'm against someone wearing plate, like Jaune or that big guy with the mace, what's a puny sword going to do? I'm gonna need something with weight.

[G] I suppose. These aren't your normal enemies. It's good that you're being prepared.

 **Before he knew it, the day had already passed to night, and Nyter looked into the sky, beginning to be aware of how much time he spent training.**

[N] Four and a half hours? Geez. Better get back to the dorm.

 **Before he could get up and leave, Nyter heard rustling from the entrance. Put into defensive mode, he crouched behind a concrete bench, surveying the intruder. It happened to be Ruby, humming the same hymn as the last time she entered this garden.**

[N] "Ruby? What are you doing here?"

[Ru] "Ah!"

 **Nyter's sudden questioning appeared to startle Ruby, prompting a quick yip from her.**

[Ru] "Geez, don't scare me like that… It's 8 PM, why are you out here?"

[N] "You just defeated your own question, since you're also out here at 8 PM."

[Ru] "I thought you'd be here. You kinda just left us for no reason, and you didn't answer our texts. I thought I'd try to find you to make sure you were okay."

 **Nyter pulled out his scroll and noticed that he had six unread text messages from the group. He placed his hand behind his head and began to rub his hair.**

[N] "My bad. I've never owned one of these before. I've forgotten how easy it is to communicate with these. I'm only used to walkie-talkies and two-way radios."

[Ru] "I've been meaning to ask you about that stuff."

[N] "What stuff?"

[Ru] "You act so… primitive, at times. You have a bag full of canned foods, rations, you sleep on the floor, you've never had a scroll, and a few other details. Why is that? Who are you, Nyter? It's not that I don't trust you, I just want to know what kind of person is on my team."

[N] "Who am I, huh? Funnily enough, I asked myself that same question this morning. You really want to know what kind of person I am?"

[Ru] "I do."

[N] "Well that's too bad, because I don't have a damn clue."

[Ru] "Nyter…"

[N] "I really don't. It's not something I can think about easily. I feel like… I'm not supposed to be alive. Like I wasn't born into the world, but somehow I'm still here. It's hard to explain. As for the other stuff, I didn't have a luxury life."

[Ru] "What do you mean by that?"

[N] "Do you want me to delve into my past? I believe recounting my past few years can help alleviate some of the questions you have."

[Ru] "If you're comfortable with that, yeah."

[N] "Alright, Ruby Rose, it's story time. Lie down on the grass with me. It's easier for me to remember when I'm looking at the stars."

 **Ruby complied to Nyter's request, lying down on the patch in the garden. They each looked up to the stars, viewing the wondrous spectacle before Nyter began his story.**

[N] "And so, our tale begins with a young boy. He didn't know his name, his father, his mother, or anyone other than himself, really. Because of this, he decided to make his own. Nyter, named after the wondrous night. I know that sounds cliche, and that's because it is. I was a kid, alright?"

 **Ruby snickered at his words.**

[N] "The earliest memories I have were me being held captive by some man. I was blind, deaf, mute, and lived in a concrete cell for god knows how long. Eventually, I began developing my senses one by one. First was hearing, then speaking, then finally my sight. I never regained the ability to taste, though, so I'm not a big fan of food in general. It basically just feels like you're eating glue, no matter what you put in your mouth. Crunchy stuff is kinda weird, I can't even try to describe that. Anyway, as soon as I started developing my senses, my captor began feeding me more food, which I ate gleefully. Food was a matter of survival for me, so I dug in whenever possible. Eventually, he seated me in this big chair, and did something to me. He pulled a lever, and put a helmet on my head, and all I can recall is an immense amount of pain. After it stopped, I had an unfathomable amount of knowledge. Stuff that normal people don't learn until years and years. I still have that knowledge. It's almost like a library, where I can think of something, and kind of grab the knowledge out of my memories. That's probably why I'm not taking any of the courses here. Ozpin knows I can just whip out any pieces of knowledge I want. It is limited, though. Some things I've just forgotten or didn't learn about. Also, it has really impaired my ability to recall actual memories. I have trouble remembering specific details about things, and I only have a general idea of what happened the day before the current one. Eventually, after I gained the knowledge, I found out how adept I was at using my aura. I could project things using my aura, objects that normally other people wouldn't be able to pull off. That's been my schtick, having the ability to basically summon objects using just my aura."

 **Nyter demonstrated by thinking of a knife, and pulling it from his aura, materializing it into his hand.**

[N] "Just like that."

[Ru] "Whoa… That's cool. Is that your semblance?"

[N] "Anyone is able to do it if they practice hard enough. I was just lucky enough to begin with that adept ability. So, I wouldn't consider it my semblance. In fact, I'm not even sure what my semblance is. It's funny… They say that the more you use your aura, the faster your semblance comes to you. I still don't know what mine is. Anyway, back to the story. After the aura exercises, I started doing heavy aerobics exercise in my cell. I went from being a skinny beanpole to a well-built individual, at a very young age. I believe I was around age twelve when I had finally stopped, and that's only because I planned to kill the man who captured me. It didn't go according to plan, though. Some woman I've never seen before opened the door, and told me he was dead. She led me to another man, who explained I was their experiment for something. That's all I remember about my early life. I remember a time when I was employed by Ozpin himself, which means that I escaped that experimentation facility at some point. I worked with a small team of elite individuals, and we did missions together. I don't remember the exact objectives, but it was some pretty important stuff. It was hard to keep up with them, but I was able to hold my own. I guess I was naturally born to be a fighter. There is one bad thing about my aura, though… My early fluency came at a price. It doesn't automatically shield me from hits. If I'm not careful, someone can physically damage me even when I'm at 100% capacity. I have to manually create an aura shield in order to stop myself from getting hurt. That's why my jaw broke in just one hit from that guy in the tavern."

[Ru] "So was Ozpin your 'supervisor' in that bounty hunter story?"

[N] "No. There was a time when I was a part of another organization, who 'stole' me from Ozpin. They had captured me after a few years of working with Ozpin, and forced me to work alongside them. I would have run away, but they implanted a microscopic mine in the side of my neck. If I tried to take it out, or just leave, the mine would explode and kill me. I had to comply with their demands. If I ever spoke out, they'd torture me into submission. That's where I got these."

 **Nyter lifted his white sleeves to show the railroad-esque scars on his upper arm.**

[N] "They realized that my body recovered quicker than most people, and took advantage of that. They could torture me by lacerating several parts of my arm, then returning after just an hour and do it all over again. I figured that rapid-regeneration was my semblance, since it was much more effective than other people's healing, but then I realized it's most likely a byproduct of me having significant control over my aura. In any case, all they knew was that after they sliced into me, my wounds would close in a matter of minutes. All that would be left was a scar over the wound, strangely enough. Even with my healing factor, my skin still scars."

 **Ruby was listening with a hand covering her mouth.**

[Ru] "Nyter, that's… That's horrible…"

[N] "We're not even to the worst part. A few weeks after capturing the bounty hunter, I was put on another mission. The details are hazy, but I remember failing the mission, making it the first unsuccessful mission I've ever had. They then considered me of no use to them, and bid me off to an underground experimental facility, completely different from the one I went to as a kid. These guys… They were brutal. Their job was to torture me into finding out the best way to extract information. They would use me as a guinea pig to find the most vital spots of a human being to injure, causing the most pain. Basically, I was their experiment so they could learn how to effectively torture people. I stayed there for months, being fed nothing but dry pebbles of some nutritional value, constantly subjected to watching the blood flow from different parts of my body. Eventually, Ozpin ended up rescuing me. One of the members of my team found where I was kept, and they took me from the jaws of that evil organization. I then promised to be forever in Ozpin's debt, and he took me to this school. Tadaa! You have the story of Nyter, or at least the parts I could remember. Sorry if it was too vague."

 **Nyter heard sniffling to his right and looked over at Ruby. She was staring at him with teary eyes, covering her mouth.**

[N] "What's wrong? It's not like any of that has turned me into some demon."

[Ru] "Nyter… I would have never thought you were treated so horribly…"

[N] "Eh, don't worry about it. I hardly remember it anyways. If anything, it has made me into a stronger person. Plus, I ended up here, with you guys. I couldn't ask for a better future."

[Ru] "I didn't think such a strong person could exist… Can I ask another question?"

[N] "Go ahead."

[Ru] "I remember you said something about demons… How you were used to fighting them. Did you really fight demons?"

[N] "Allow me to explain my philosophy on that. I don't believe in good people, and I don't believe in bad people. I believe in humans (faunus included), and I believe in demons. Humans are those who wish to better their kind, and make the world a safer place. Demons are those who look out for themselves, not giving heed to the betterment of our world and society. The men I was employed under were demons. Ozpin is a human. You and I are humans. That bounty hunter was a demon. Make sense?"

[Ru] "I suppose… You also said you were used to fighting them more so than Grimm."

[N] "That is correct. I have never murdered an innocent human being, but I have killed demons. Tons of them. In fact, just about every mission I was involved in was me fighting those vile beasts. I was naturally attuned to fighting those imposters of our species. I don't know why. It was just so much easier. That's why I was able to react so quickly during our duel. I know a lot about fighting humans and demons. It's my strong suit. Grimm? Not so much."

[Ru] "I see… Nyter, can you sleep in my bed tonight?"

[R] Ohoho! Big boy Nyter just got invited to her bed!

[N] "Why?"

[Ru] "I just can't stand thinking of you sleeping on the cold, hard floor. After all you've been through. You at least deserve a bed."

[N] "Aren't you afraid I'm going to pull some move or something?"

[Ru] "You said that you're not like that. I trust you. It's not romantic in the slightest, I just want you to sleep in my bed tonight. Please?"

[N] "If you insist. I'll be mildly uncomfortable for a bit, though."

[Ru] "You'll get used to it. Come on, it's late. We should go back."

[N] "Lead the way."

 **Nyter made his way to their room, with Ruby taking the lead. They reached the door, and Ruby opened it with her scroll. Inside the room, Yang appeared to be on her scroll while covered up in bed, Weiss is at her desk writing something on paper, and Blake is reading a book in her bed. Nyter looked at his watch, grimacing at the time. 9:00.**

[N] "Hey, Blake."

 **Blake lifted her head from the sights of her book, responding to Nyter.**

[B] "Yes?"

[N] "Can I read a book of yours? I don't really have anything to do until I go to sleep. I'd like to read something. It's been awhile since I've read a good book."

[B] "Sure. What kind of book are you looking for?"

[N] "Hmm… Stereotypical fantasy, hero-who's-born-from-nothing-and-turns-into-the-savior-of-the-world kinda deal. Got anything like that?"

[B] "Of course."

 **Blake reaches towards her shelf and pulls a book with a brown cover.**

[B] "One of my favorites. Treat it with care."

[N] "Thanks, I will."

 **Nyter took a look at the cover. "The Man Who Sold the World" was the title, with no author written below.**

[N] "There's no author here."

[B] "It goes with the motif of the story. You'll see."

 **Nyter glanced at Ruby, who appeared to be gathering research materials for the readings.**

[N] "Gonna be studying all night?"

[Ru] "Yeah. I also kinda need to change into my pajamas, soooo…"

[N] "Why don't you just go into my room and change?"

[Ru] "There's no light in there!"

[N] "Ugh, fine."

 **Nyter walked to his room, sliding open the door. He stepped inside and waited for confirmation.**

[Ru] "Ready!"

 **Once again opening the door, he stepped outside and looked at Ruby's choice of sleeping wear for tonight. She was wearing the familiar black beowolf tank top with the white rose pants.**

[N] "Great choice for tonight, I approve."

 **With another snicker, Ruby hopped on her bed with her supplies and began studying.**

[N] "Is this thing gonna hold both our weights without crashing?"

[Ru] "Uhh… How much do you weigh?"

[N] "155 pounds/70 kilograms."

[Ru] "Ehhh, you'll be fiiiine."

[N]"If you say so…"

 **Nyter cautiously climbed onto Ruby's bed, earning a glare from Yang.**

[Y] "Hey kid. Don't go stepping over boundaries."

[Ru] "It's okay, Yang. I told him to. He didn't even want to at first."

[Y] "I'm keepin' an eye on you."

 **Nyter comically raised his hands in the air, proving he meant no harm. He then laid back in his usual position, hands behind his head, feet crossed.**

[Ru] "Hey! Take off the boots!"

[N] "Oh! My bad. Sorry."

 **Nyter untied his boots and slipped them off, lightly tossing them in front of Ruby's nightstand. He then returned to his position and opened the book, beginning to read the first chapter. After reading a few chapters in, he realized how much time had passed. Looking at his watch, he read the time as 12:00.**

[N] Guess I'm a slow reader. I need to work on that. Time to go to sleep.

 **Nyter overheard Ruby snoring slightly, indicating she already fell asleep. A few books and papers were strewn across her side of the bed, taking up a bit of space. Weiss came by to wake her up, to which Ruby apologized.**

[Ru] "Weiss! I, uh, I was studying, and then I fell asleep, I'm sorry…"

 **Weiss held a hand over Ruby's mouth, shushing her.**

[W] "How do you take your coffee?"

[Ru] "Uh, I-I don't…"

[W] "Answer the question."

[Ru] "Uhh, cream and five sugars!"

[W] "Ugh, don't move."

 **Weiss exited the area and came back with Ruby's mug, full of a substance Nyter could only presume was coffee ordered to Ruby's specifications.**

[W] "Here."

[Ru] "Um, thanks, Weiss."

[W] "Ruby, I think you have what it takes to be a good leader. Just know, that I am going to be the best teammate you will ever have. Good luck studying."

 **Weiss disappeared for a moment, before reappearing and adding,** "That's wrong, by the way." **Nyter smiled at her honesty.**

[W] "Hey, Ruby?"

[Ru] "Uh huh?"

[W] "I've always wanted bunk beds as a kid."

 **Weiss exited the door, prompting an excited yelp from Ruby.**

[Ru] "She likes me! I'm a good leader!"

[N] "Haha, yeah, it's pretty cool that she did that. I'm gonna go to bed now. I suggest you do the same. Staying up too long studying makes it harder for information to be retained. Goodnight, Ruby. Thank you for listening to my story earlier. It felt good letting all that out."

[Ru] "Goodnight, Nyter. Sleep well."

[N] "You too."

 **Nyter marked his page mentally and shut the book, placing it on his chest. He scooted over so Ruby could go under her covers, but he remained on top, content with the level of temperature. He then closed his eyes, feeling as though he wasn't alone anymore.**

* * *

Legend: [S] = Skye; [L] = Luke, [Oo] = Oobleck, [Po] = Port


	7. Chapter 7

Here is chapter seven. It's probably my favorite chapter. It doesn't really deal with any conflicts except for Nyter's own, so it's going to be fairly emotional. I should probably start finishing up the rest but For Honor released recently and has been eating away at my writing time. Either way, I'll try my best. If I'm late on the next chapters, it's because I'm addicted to For Honor. Enjoy!

Google Doc Link: **nyterngr7**

* * *

 **Chapter 7**

[?] "Qrow! What do I do!"

 **A very small boy, just about the age of six years, calls out to a man next to him. The boy's eyes are closed, while several bombs are heard exploding around him.**

[?] "Qrow I don't know what to do! Where do I go! It's everywhere!"

[Q] "Just get to Summer! Run! Open your eyes and just run!"

 **Following the demands, he opened his eyes. He resided in a damp field, covered by a treeline. The boy was using a large tree to cover himself from the explosions. Several craters appeared to his left and his right, proof of the mortar strikes coming towards him and the older man, Qrow. Before the boy began to run, he looked back at Qrow. Qrow's face was bloody and bruised, and his arm had shrapnel embedded from several blasts. Blood trickled down from his red and white clothes, and his cross-shaped necklace was covered in soot The pitch black hair on his head was stained with ash and blood from his injuries.**

[Q] "You gotta move, _now!_ Summer's waiting for you! She'll take you out of here! I'll give you cover, just move!"

 **The child wiped his tears and turned away from Qrow. He started to run, carefully avoiding the craters so he wouldn't slip into the singed mud. As he continued sprinting, more mortar strikes exploded several feet away, sending him flying in the opposite direction. All he could hear at this point was a high-pitched ringing in his ears, silencing his own screams. He felt his face and chest, which were covered in his own blood. Even though his body was singed with heat, he picked up his small frame and began sprinting again. He couldn't see any distinct figures, but his hearing had finally returned after a solid minute of running forward. A voice called out to him, screaming his name.**

[S] "Julius! Baby, I'm here! Come here! I'm over here, follow my voice!"

 **The woman's voice led the boy to her direction. Even through the duress of his situation, her voice still managed to calm him. His vision slowly began to return, causing him to make out one white shape contrasted against the black trees. This was the source of the voice, he was sure of it.**

[S] "Come on, baby, just a little bit closer… Yes, that's it, keep moving, I'm right here."

 **Julius embraced the white figure, who took him with open arms. She ran her fingers through his hair, comforting him for that small moment. It wasn't an issue that his blood was constantly cascading down his head, due to the fact that her hands were already covered in her own. Summer held the crying child in her arms for a small while, calming him down. She finally let go of the embrace, making eye contact with his tearful golden eyes. The boy stared back into her gaze, intently studying her silver eyes. Placing her hands on his shoulders, she began to speak very softly to him.**

[S] "Julius, listen to me baby. I'm going to get you out of here, okay? We're going to leave. I promise that you're going to make it out completely fine, alright? Come on, let's go."

 **Summer grasped Julius's small hand in her own and began to lead him out of the explosive attacks. He blindly accepted her lead, often tripping over his feet as she moved with quickness. The bombs exploding around them were increasing in frequency, exploding in five-second intervals, rather than ten. Summer noticed the grave danger they were in and slung the child over her shoulder, moving as quickly as she could.**

[S] "We're almost there, Julius! Just keep holding on, we're almost out. Just a few more minutes, I promise."

 **After a few minutes of sprinting through the marsh, Summer's leg got caught in a deep set of mud. Her sudden decrease in momentum caused Julius to slip from her grasp. As he fell forward, he landed in a large pile of sinking mud, unable to move further. The mud restricted his movement, disabling his body.**

[S] "Julius! I can't move… Are you able to get up?"

[J] "I can try, but it hurts and I can't move far…"

[S] "Can you reach my hand? Here, move your arm just a bit further…"

 **Julius reached out his hand to Summer's, trying to move his body further in her direction. She was about five feet away from him, but his small body was still trapped in the mud. Extending his arm further, he managed to touch the tips of Summer's fingers.**

[S] "Just a bit further, baby, come on… You can do it!"

[J] "I… I can't…"

[S] "Use your aura like you did last time. I know you think you can't do it, but this is life or death… Try it again, please, we have to get out of here…"

 **Julius concentrated, thinking of a single object. A simple bar, just a few inches long, half a centimeter in diameter. Attempting to pull it from his mind, he successfully projected a small black bar and extended it to Summer. Summer was able to grasp it as she used all her strength to pull Julius from the mud.**

[S] "I got it! I'm pulling as hard as I can, pull against my weight so you get out faster. Use all your strength, quickly."

 **Julius complied to her demands, pulling himself out of the mud with her help. The sky began to darken, the only source of light becoming the sunset in the distance. Finally, Julius was pulled from the depths of the sinking mud, causing him to stumble away onto solid ground. He looked back at Summer, who seemed to be struggling.**

[S] "Julius, I… I'm having a bit of trouble… I don't know if I can get out. Listen to me, we're running out of time… You need to leave. You have to leave without me."

[J] "Summer, I can't make it without you! Where am I supposed to go?!"

[S] "Anywhere. Julius, you need to live… You weren't born to be used as a weapon. I'm going to give you a mission, okay? You remember my daughter, right? Ruby Rose. You two used to play together. When you make it out of here, I want you to find her. I need you to tell her that I'm sorry and I love her more than anything. She has black and red hair, just like me, and her eyes are the same shade of silver. Please, Julius… Do it for me. Maybe you two can even be close friends. That would make me happy... Now go! I can't move out here, and if you try to help me, we'll both get stuck. Go!"

[J] "I can't just leave you!"

[S] "Julius, if you try to save me, we're both just going to die. Leave me, please. You deserve to live. Please, go… Please, I'm begging you. Run as fast as you can out of this horrendous place. Qrow will meet with you, he knows the direction we went."

 **Julius began to develop tears. Had he not learned enough pain? Enough suffering? Was this his punishment for being alive?**

[J] "Summer, I-"

 **Before his sentence was finished, a final explosion occurred right in front of him. The scent of burning air filled his nostrils, while the hot oxygen scorched his lungs. Once again, more ringing. Julius's vision was blinded, the only sight was a simple white screen. A few seconds passed until he began to hear once again. He tried to look around, but his eyes couldn't see anything other than a pure white film. The sounds around him were of the same sort, countless mortar strikes exploding around the marsh. Several shells blasted in the distance, while a few more continued to explode near his vicinity.**

[J] Why…? Why am I alive? I should just lie here and die.

 **His thoughts taunted him. He repeated his death wish several times over. His vision slowly returned, causing him to open his eyes. He couldn't help but look at the impact of the previous shell. Staring down, he saw small bits of flesh entwined with pieces of white and silver cloth. The clothes were horridly singed with soot, while the recognizable pieces of Summer's flesh scattered most of the surface. The entirety of the large crater was filled with a red stain, in place of the small woman who had helped Julius this far.**

[J] She's really gone. She's dead. Summer is dead.

 **Julius covered his head in his hands, unable to produce any more tears. He couldn't move. His legs refused to travel any longer. Motivation for living was at an incredible low. However, Summer's words rang out to him.**

[S] I'm going to give you a mission, okay? . . . I want you to find her. . . You deserve to live. . . Run as fast as you can.

[J] I can't let her die for no reason… I have to go.

 **Picking up his small frame, Julius pushed himself off the ground. Even though his legs were bleeding and bruised from the previous blast, he decided to move with every ounce of energy he had left. Leaving behind the trail of blood and bits of flesh, he ran as fast as he could away from the sounds of the blasts. Eventually his legs gave in, leaving Julius to fall on the ground.**

[J] I can't move… I can't move my legs. I have to crawl.

 **He dug his hands in the mud, dragging his body across the surface. Every bit of his body felt as though it was on fire. Energy and time were running out. Julius knew he didn't have much longer.**

[J] I'm sorry, Summer… I tried… I can't complete the mission. I have to die here, with you. It's not so bad.

[Q] "Givin' up already, kid? Come on, let's get movin'."

 **Julius, still collapsed on the cold mud, heard the voice of Qrow. At first, he thought it was another illusion, trying to motivate him into living, but he felt someone's hand grabbing him by the scruff of his collar.**

[Q] "I'll get you outta here. Just stay alive. I hope you're not injured."

 **Holding on to the back of Qrow's red cape, which was now tattered, Julius began to cry softly. The haunting image of what was left of Summer's corpse tormented Julius's waking moments. Physically and mentally exhausted, Julius slumbered on Qrow's back, listening to his footsteps and he traveled away from the blast zone.**

* * *

 **Nyter awoke from Ruby's bed, sitting up and gasping quickly. He began to hyperventilate, filling his lungs with too much oxygen at once, yet it felt as though he still couldn't breathe. Finally opening his eyes, Nyter looked down at his hands, which were trembling uncontrollably.**

[N] She's dead. She's dead. She's dead. It's my fault she's dead. Ruby's own mother, she's dead. She's dead because of me. I saw it. I saw it with my own eyes.

[G] Nyter, calm down, it was just a dream.

 **Nyter completely ignored Galer's statement, looking to his left at Ruby. She stirred from his violent awakening and rubbed her eyes with her hands.**

[Ru] "Nyter…? What's wrong? What time is it?"

[N] "Ruby, I…"

 **Before his sentence could finish, he felt bile rushing towards his esophagus. Quickly sealing his lips with his hands, he thrust himself out of Ruby's bed, sloppily landing on the floor. His shoulder took most of the damage, but he was able to pick himself up again and reach the trash can. His next few seconds were spent hurling in the trash can, waking up the others. Ruby rushed out of bed, moving to Nyter's side as he continued to vomit.**

[Ru] "Are you sick, do you need some medicine?"

 **She placed a hand on his back to try and comfort him, but it resulted in the opposite effect. He hurled even further, responding to her touch.**

[N] "Ruby, for the love of god… Don't touch me right now…"

 **Nyter remained bent over the small can while the others watched in confusion.**

[N] You were right. I shouldn't have remembered. What a fool I am.

[G] It's my fault. This resulted from me making such a big deal out of it.

[N] No, don't blame yourself.

 **Nyter spit the rest of the remaining vomit from his mouth and turned to the others, crouching on the floor. He looked at his watch. 6:00.**

[N] "I need some space right now. Tell Port and the others that I won't be attending class today."

[Ru] "Are you sick?"

[N] "No. I'm fine. Sorry for waking you so early. Go back to sleep, I'll be outside."

[B] "Nyter, if you're sick, you need to go to the infirmary."

[Y] "Yeah, you can't just walk out of here like it's nothing. Come on, we'll help you."

[N] "Guys… I'm not ill, I promise you."

[B] "Your hands are shaking, you're paler than usual, and you were just hurling in our trash can. You've definitely come down with something."

 **Nyter sighed in frustration. He stared down at his hands, still violently shaking.**

[N] "Let's just say… I remembered something I shouldn't have. All I need is a bit of fresh air."

[W] "I didn't stay up making coffee for my teammate just to hear you talk about needed space from your team while you're throwing up in our trash can. We're a _team_ , we stay together. Are you positive you're not just sick?"

[N] "Weiss… I wish I could explain it. Maybe I am sick. Not in the stomach, but in my head."

[Ru] "Nyter, I'm worried… What's wrong with you today?"

[N] "It has to do with what I told you about last night. Regaining memories. Some things are best left forgotten."

 **The rest of the team members looked at each other quizzically, then at Ruby.**

[N] "If you're all so curious, just ask her. I'm not in too much of a mood to speak. I appreciate your concern, but this is a difficult time for me right now. Ruby, I need to speak to you after classes. It's highly important. Meet me in the usual spot. I have a lot to think about right now, so I'll be going. Don't be late."

 **Not even bothering to don his armor, Nyter left the room. He made his way outside, blankly walking through the darkened hallways, lit only by the artificial lights planted against the wall.**

[G] Where are you going?

[N] Outside.

[G] And what exactly are you going to do?

[N] I don't know. Introspection.

[G] Does this really change things that much?

[N] Yes.

[G] Why does it matter? Why do this every single time?

[N] Because I didn't realize I was only alive due to someone else dying risking their life for me.

 **Nyter eventually reached the front doors of the dorm hall, looking outside. It was still dark, but dawn was breaking through the surface of the sky. Walking out in the cool morning air, Nyter made his way to a small hillside to the left of the academy, choosing to lie down on the wet grass. There he lied for a while, blankly staring into the sky, thinking of absolutely nothing.**

[G] How long do you plan on lying here?

[N] How many questions do you plan on asking me?

[G] Nyter…

[N] Do you want to know what I'm _really_ thinking, Galer?

[G] Enlighten me.

[N] I'm thinking that I shouldn't be breathing right now. I don't deserve this. Look.

 **Nyter raised a hand to the sky, still trembling.**

[N] These hands weren't made to help people. They were meant to kill. Maim. Destroy. I was made to be a weapon. Summer died because she was saving a lost cause. What have I done to deserve this? Why do I deserve to breathe while Summer lies in a false grave?

 **Galer didn't have an answer to Nyter's questions. He instead chose to remain silent, allowing Nyter to continue.**

[N] I should be dead. I should be the one rotting away while Summer continues to help people, killing monsters and caring for her daughter. If I would have died, no one would have lost anything. But because of her death… Ruby, Yang, Tai, Qrow… They all lost something very precious to them. All because of _me._ Why can't someone come along and just put me out of my misery? Why do I have to keep living?

 **Rodger finally broke the silence, unable to conceal his rage any longer.**

[R] Do you want to know what _I_ think, Nyter?

[N] What?

[R] I think you're being stupid. Completely, utterly stupid. I hate you right now. I'm not proud to be a part of your soul at this moment.

 **Nyter felt uneasy at Rodger's statements, not able to respond to him.**

[R] What kind of person treats their life like this? You were given a gift, Nyter. Summer risked her life to keep _you_ alive, and this is how you repay her? This is how you treat that gift? Do you even _understand_ the bullshit you're spewing? For someone who claims to care about Summer so much, you really don't mind disrespecting her choices to save you. How would she feel if she knew that her death meant nothing? Because that's exactly what you're doing. You are bringing vain to her death, Nyter. Yes, Summer Rose is dead, but the reason she died was to make sure you keep breathing. You need to realize that she died so you could live. Don't you _dare_ disrespect her death like you've just done. You have no right. You do this _every_ single time you remember her, and I am _sick_ of it. Stop wallowing in your pathetic pit of self-despair and look at what she's done for you.

[N] …

 **Nyter let his hand fall from the sky. It made a thud next to him, crashing into the dewy grass. He ran his fingers through the cold turf, covering his hand in water. Summer's words rang out to him, still as clear as the day he heard them.**

[S] Nyter, you need to live. You weren't born to be used as a weapon.

 **For the first time in almost a decade, Nyter let tears fall from his face.**

[S] I'm going to give you a mission, okay? I have a daughter, and her name is Ruby Rose. When you make it out of here, I want you to find her. I need you to tell her that I'm sorry and I love her more than anything. She has black and red hair, just like me, and her eyes are the same shade of silver. Please, Julius… Do it for me. Maybe you two can even be close friends. That would make me happy…

[N] That would make you happy, huh?

 **Nyter repeated her words in his head countless times, watching the sky turn from a deep orange to a benevolent blue.**

[N] Then I guess I'll do it. Summer, I'm sorry… I'll do my best to complete the mission. Rodger, you're right. I acted irrationally and I never thought about what I was doing. I appreciate your words, they have guided me in the right direction.

[R] Don't mention it. It's my job to make you into a good human, remember?

 **With a chuckle, Nyter rose his hand to the sky again. It had stopped shaking.**

[N] Summer, I'm going to make this promise to you. For as long as I remain living, I will not kill another living human or faunus. I will not perform the same malicious acts that I've previously enacted. These hands will help people. These hands will _save_ people. I may have been born to be used as a weapon, but that is not my purpose anymore. My purpose is to save mankind from destruction. Anyone who wishes to harm us will be stopped by these hands. And Ruby… I'm going to protect her. She will continue breathing for as long as I do. These hands will protect her with everything I've got. This is my promise to you, Summer. I'm no longer going to hide this memory, I will no longer lock it away in the depths of my mind. I will choose to remember. This is my burden and I will hold it. I'm ready to accept it.

 **As Nyter spoke, he felt something unlock in his chest.**

[N] Hm?

 **Nyter felt different, for sure. He could not put a finger on it, but it's almost as if the world seemed clearer to him.**

[N] That's strange.

[G] What?

[N] I can't explain it, but… It almost seems like something is clearer to me.

[G] What do you mean?

[N] That's as best as I can try to explain it. I'm not really sure.

[G] Well, what are you planning to do now?

[N] I think I'll just lie here for a while. I like the way the sky looks today.

 **Nyter began to trace the white wisps in the sky with his index finger.**

[N] Even though I have this goal, I know I have a lot more to discover. It's almost as if my true purpose was just a will-o'-the-wisp. I was always searching. It was almost impossible to find. I had always just done what I was told. I was taught that dissent was met with… this.

 **Stopping his tracing, Nyter began feeling the scars on his skin.**

[N] I was never really my own individual. I didn't create anything. No one followed me. I was the follower. Just a pawn, I guess.

 **The wind began to pick up, bringing warm air from the west. It ruffled Nyter's hair and obscured some of his vision.**

[N] I'll spend a lifetime searching for something. Hopefully I'll find it before then. For now… I've got a mission to complete. But… Ruby… How can I look her in the eyes without bursting into more tears? I mean, I saw her own mother die… This is definitely going to be harder than I thought. I guess that's why I thought she looked so familiar when we met. Those silver eyes.

 **Wrinkling his brow, Nyter came to a realization.**

[N] Julius, huh? That's my name? I think I like Nyter more. I wonder what my last name is? Do I even have one?

[G] Looks like you've got more questions to answer than it seems.

[N] Hmm… I suppose I do. That's enough thinking for now. I'm just going to enjoy the breeze.

 **Nyter placed his hands behind his head and crossed his feet. There he lied, watching the wispy clouds move across the sky. For the first time, he felt peace. He didn't have to worry about something tracking him down, or being punished for insubordination. He knew he could just lie here, enjoying his next few breaths.**

[R] You know, gold does compliment silver.

[N] Hm?

[R] Gold and silver… It's a nice combination. Your eyes and Ruby's eyes, I mean.

[N] Are you suggesting something?

[R] When am I not?

 **With a hearty laugh, Nyter closed his eyes. He listened to the wind blowing in his ear, the birds chirping their songs in the distance, and the water from the fountain. Everything seemed connected together, one thing sustaining another. Serenity was a concept that had always escaped Nyter, but in this moment, he knew what it was. It meant being untroubled, content with life. You can be truly aimless and still love your own life.**

[N] Thank you, Galer and Rodger. I don't know what I'd do without you sometimes. You've really taught me things that I would have never learned by myself. Even though we've only been together for a few months, it's almost as if we've been together for years.

[R] No problem, glad we could help you beyond the grave.

[G] You've given us purpose too, you know. Not everyone can enjoy being stuck in a body that isn't theirs.

 **Nyter smiled. He opened his eyes and glanced at his watch. 3:00.**

[N] Nine hours?! My god, how did time pass that quickly?!

[G] You do have a knack for passing time quickly.

 **Nyter sat up and rubbed his hair.**

[N] Man, my hair is really messy right now. Is it time for a haircut?

[R] Nah, keep it long. Chicks dig it.

[N] I wouldn't call this "long"... It hardly covers my ears. I think I like this length. I'll keep it for now. The bangs get a bit annoying, though… I should have grabbed a hair clip from the girls.

[G] Don't you have somewhere to be right now?

[N] Do I? Hm… Oh crap! You're right!

 **Nyter stood up from his position and began to jog towards the rose garden. Thankfully, Ruby has not arrived yet.**

[N] Phew. I can't tell her not to be late and then be late myself. I've got a reputation to uphold.

[R] For someone who always forgets stuff, you're shockingly keen on not being late.

[N] Chalk it up to that mischievous organization. If I was late to the briefing room, I'd be beaten.

[R] I guess that gives you an incentive. "Don't be late or else you'll get beaten." Fair punishment.

 **Nyter chuckled and waited for Ruby. He sat on a concrete bench, admiring the roses blooming in the warm air. Plucking one from the bush, he examined it closely, studying the patterns on its petals.**

[Ru] "Nyter?"

 **Looking towards the entrance, Nyter glanced at the voice who called his name. As expected, it was Ruby. However, something looked different. She appeared in her usual school uniform, but Nyter saw something different about her. He couldn't quite pin it, but she did appear to look exactly like her mother. Perhaps it's that similarity that makes her appear different to him. He decided to stop staring and greet her with a pleasant smile, waving to her.**

[N] "Hey Ruby. How were your classes?"

[Ru] "I told the professors that you wouldn't be in classes today. They kinda just looked at me funny and asked if you were sick. I didn't know what else to say, so I told them you threw up this morning and said you didn't feel good enough to go to class."

[N] "That's not an answer to my question, but thanks for letting them know."

[Ru] "Oh! Sorry, my classes were fine. Nothing unusual on the second day, ya know? You seem to be doing better."

[N] "I'm doing much better. See? Told you I wasn't sick."

 **Ruby realized that Nyter wasn't making any eye contact like he usually does.**

[Ru] "Is everything alright?"

[N] "Yeah…"

 **Nyter looked down at the ground, unsure of how to begin. He decided to stand up and face Ruby, still not making eye contact.**

[N] "Ruby…"

[Ru] "Yes?"

 **Nyter was unable to finish his sentence. He walked closer to Ruby, standing in front of her, just a few inches between them. Looking up, he gazed into her eyes for the first time after remembering. They were a pleasant silver, just like Summer's. Nyter clenched his fists.**

[N] Come on, I can't cry in front of her… Hold it together, Nyter!

[Ru] "Nyter?"

 **Nyter's legs began to feel weak. Eventually, they buckled under his weight, collapsing to his knees. Ruby was able to catch him before his knees hit the concrete, holding him up.**

[Ru] "Nyter! Are you okay?!"

 **Nyter allowed himself to slump to his knees, forcing his weight on the ground.**

[N] "It's funny… The more you say my name, the weaker I get…"

[Ru] "Huh…? Why?"

 **Without responding, Nyter surprised Ruby by placing his arms around her and burying his face in her chest. He began to cry, letting the tears fall from his eyes. Ruby awkwardly put her arms around Nyter, trying to comfort him.**

[Ru] "Nyter… Why are you crying…?"

[N] "I can't do it, Summer… I'm sorry…"

[Ru] "Summer…?"

 **Nyter continued to softly cry against Ruby's embrace. She began to stroke his messy silver hair, just as Summer did. Nyter eventually stopped, and took himself away from Ruby's arms, placing his hands on his knees and staring down at the concrete.**

[Ru] "Nyter, why did you say 'Summer'?"

[N] "Ruby Rose… Have I told you how much I'm in love with your name?"

 **Caught completely off-guard, Ruby's cheeks turned red like roses. She shook her head, indicating her response to Nyter's question.**

[N] "Sorry. That was kind of random. Anyway, to answer your question… I don't have an answer. I'm just really emotional right now, which is quite a rare thing. Only two people have ever seen me like this, and you're one of them."

[Ru] "Why are you emotional?"

[N] "I just… I remembered a few things. You know how I said my memory was really sketchy and I could only remember a couple blocks of stuff? Well, there was something I kept deep down inside. Any time I would remember it, I would turn into a hulking embodiment of depression. So I continually forced myself to forget. But… now I think I'm ready to just accept it."

[Ru] "Do you want to talk about it?"

[N] "Hmmm… I don't think right now is the right time. But I will tell you, one day, when I'm not crying hysterically while looking into your eyes."

[Ru] "My eyes…?"

 **Ruby slumped down to her knees as well, matching Nyter. She stared down at the ground, not wanting to upset Nyter any further.**

[N] "Hey, Ruby?"

[Ru] "Yeah?"

 **Ruby looked up at Nyter to match his gaze. He studied her eyes for a bit before speaking. Keeping it together, he managed to stabilize his emotions long enough to avoid tears.**

[N] "I don't think I could have asked for a better future than this. For the first time in my life, I'm genuinely happy to be alive. I hope that wherever this future takes me, it's with you."

[Ru] "Why me…?"

[N] "I'm your teammate, aren't I? I'm supposed to make sure you keep living when you execute your heinous plans. So don't die on me, alright?"

 **Ruby smiled at his question, nodding in response.**

[Ru] "You know…"

[N] "Hm?"

[Ru] "Even though we've known each other for a few days, it feels like I've known you for years."

 **The words struck Nyter, confounding him.**

[N] What…? I thought that feeling of familiarity stemmed from me previously knowing Summer… So why does Ruby feel the same way? Wait a second... Summer said we used to play together. So we _did_ know each other from the past? Hmmm...

[N] "Really?"

[Ru] "Yeah. It's hard to explain, but it's almost like you and I go years back…"

[N] Galer, do you find that odd?

[G] Do you have any memory of Ruby prior to the day you arrived here on the ship?

[N] If I do, I don't remember it.

[G] Another answer you have to search for, then.

[N] Agreed.

[N] "I actually feel the same. Also, sorry for staining your uniform with my tears."

[Ru] "Oh, don't worry about it. I'm about to change anyway."

[N] "Did you tell the others about me after I left? My past, I mean?"

[Ru] "No… I thought you should be the one to tell them when you want to."

[N] "Oh great. I guess we can all bond over my suffering."

 **Ruby appeared uncomfortable at Nyter's attempt of a joke.**

[N] "Soooo… Now that that's over with, what are your plans for today?"

[Ru] "I was actually planning on making cookies for everyone."

[N] "Cookies, huh? One of the few delicacies I've never had."

[Ru] "You've never had _cookies?!"_

[N] "It's not like I can taste how delicious they are. I'm sure I'm missing out."

[Ru] "Yes, yes you are. Cookies are the best, especially chocolate chip."

[N] "I've also never had chocolate."

 **Ruby's eyes began twitching at Nyter.**

[Ru] "You… have never had chocolate."

[N] "It's kind of hard to desire food like that when you can't _taste_ it. Isn't that most of the appeal, if not all of it?"

 **Ruby began to grumble to herself before reaching her conclusion.**

[Ru] "You're baking cookies with me."

[N] "What?"

[Ru] "I said, 'You're baking cookies with me.'"

[N] "I believe you're overestimating my ability to prepare meals."

[Ru] "This isn't even a meal, it's just cookies!"

[N] "My statement still stands. I cook instant calorie meals with a makeshift gas stove. Most of it is dried powder that I cook with hot water. The stuff I put in my mouth is basically inedible to anyone with a functioning palate."

[Ru] "Just because you can't taste doesn't mean you can't cook. It's easy to bake cookies. I'll show you."

 **Nyter contemplated his options for a bit, putting a finger to his chin. He then nodded, content with his answer.**

[N] "Alright. Lead the way."

[Ru] "Yes!"

 **Ruby took Nyter by the hand and stood up, immediately making way to her destination. Her haste took Nyter by surprise, causing him to struggle with following her.**

[N] Why is she so FAST?

[R] I don't know, man. Looks like you've got a wild one on your hands.

[N] And just what do you mean by that?

[R] You'll figure it out soon enough, you're still young.

 **Before Nyter could retaliate to Rodger's statement, he had already arrived at the destination. The dorm communal kitchen. The kitchen itself was quite modest, not what Nyter was expecting from an academy. It was fairly small, with a table in the middle of the room, and a side counter alongside the wall, housing a few cupboards underneath. There was an oven, with a few utensils placed on the stovetop. To the left was a sink, already filled with a few messy dishes. Apparently, it's the student's job to clean up the communal plates and bowls. A window was placed just above the sink, overlooking the fountain in the front of the academy. It appears Ruby had already placed the necessary cooking instruments she needed in the room, as there was a large red bowl, eggs, flour, and chocolate chips sitting on the counter. Ruby began the process of opening the ingredients and separating them into portions.**

[N] "You know, never in my life would I ever think that I'd be baking cookies with a fifteen-year-old girl. This is quite the change of pace."

[Ru] "Is that a good thing?"

[N] "Absolutely. How can I foster healthy relationships if I don't learn how to bake cookies from an adolescent teenager?"

[Ru] "Right! I think… Sometimes your jokes are a little weird."

[N] "Well, when you grow up with Ozpin as a guardian, your humor tends to be… obscure. I'll try to be more appropriate for your age. What is it you teens like?"

 **Ruby laughed at the absurdity of Nyter's question while giving her response.**

[Ru] "Why are you acting like some old man? You aren't much older than me, are you?"

[N] "For all you know, I could be twenty-seven."

[Ru] "You're a little… short to be that old."

 **The words stung Nyter's heart, and he held a hand up to his chest to accentuate the pain. He provided a small gasp as he made the gesture.**

[N] "Egads! Woe is me, my short stature is the bane of my existence once again! Et tu, Ruby Rose?!"

[Ru] "Literature humor? You really are a weird one. Good thing I'm into the fine arts."

 **As Ruby began pouring the chocolate chips into a portioned platter, she managed to sneak one into her mouth, much to Nyter's amusement.**

[Ru] "Alright! So, now we have our portions. One cup of butter, one cup of sugar, a teaspoon of baking soda, half a teaspoon of salt, one cup of brown sugar, two eggs, three cups of flour, two teaspoons of vanilla extract because I like vanilla, and finally, two cups of delicious chocolate chips!"

 **As she finished her list, she happily consumed another chocolate morsel.**

[Ru] "First, we're gonna combine all our soft stuff. So we grab our butter and sugars, then we cream it all together till it's nice and smooth. After it's a good consistency, we add the eggs one at a time."

 **Ruby is managing to keep a steady pace with the steps, performing them shortly after repeating them, while Nyter watches her.**

[Ru] "'Kay… Now we dissolve our baking soda and add it with the salt to our batter. Then we just put everything else in the batter!"

 **Ruby steals another chocolate morsel before combining all the ingredients and stirring with a silicon spatula.**

[Ru] "Now, how big do we want our cookies? That's the next step. We just gotta spoon some batter onto a pan, and I think I want some pretty big cookies this time."

 **Ruby takes a generous helping of batter with a large spoon and places it on the pan with a smile.**

[Ru] "Now you try!"

 **As she hands the large mixing bowl to Nyter, he glares into the concoction of batter. He whiffs the beautiful smell emanating from the combined ingredients.**

[N] "Smells pretty good. If only I could taste it."

 **Nyter attempts to repeat the same portion as Ruby, grabbing a large spoon and moving a generous helping of batter to the pan. It wasn't really in the shape of a cookie, but Ruby smiled at his efforts, glad that he's a part of the process.**

[Ru] "Good! I'll make the rest, I gotta make sure the rest of these are perfect. Just sit back and watch the cookie master."

 **With excellent speed and precision, Ruby places multiple helpings of batter on the pan, each mimicking the last almost perfectly. Nyter admires her accuracy, as consistency is something he's fond of.**

[Ru] "Allllllright! We've got all the batter down, now we just put the cookies in the oven! I already preheated it to 350 degrees before we began, so it's already nice and hot."

 **Ruby delicately places the pan in the oven, making sure not to shift the batter.**

[Ru] "Now for the worst part… Waiting. Ten whole minutes."

[N] "Ten minutes? I figured it would take longer than that."

[Ru] "Any longer than that and I'd be _starving!"_

 **Nyter takes a moment to sniff the surrounding area. It smells sweet, accentuated by the cookies baking in the oven. Before long, another victim to the scent enters the kitchen.**

[No] "Do I smelllllll… Coookiessss?"

 **Ruby gasps, surprised by the sudden entrance.**

[Ru] "Nora? Did you smell these all the way from your room?"

[No] "I may have a certain knack for seeking the precious scent of sweets. Soooo, Ruby, are you cooking cookies at this moment?"

[Ru] "Uhh… Yeah, why?"

[No] "Would you be so kind as to… Share them with your wonderful neighboring teammate Nora?"

 **Sighing, Ruby looks down for a moment.**

[Ru] "I _suppose_ you can have a few. Don't take more than three of them, I made these for my team."

[No] "Oh, wonderful! I knew you loved me after all!"

 **Nora makes a heart shape with her hands and hugs Ruby, squeezing her rather tightly.**

[Ru] "Gah-! Nor-a! Too… Tight!"

[No] "Whoopsies! Got a little excited there. So how long until the cookies are done?"

 **Another figure enters the kitchen, seemingly out of breath.**

[Re] "Haaah… Hoooh… Nora?"

[No] "Oh, crap! He found me!"

[Re] "How many times do I have to… tell you not to keep running… into the kitchen whenever someone… is cooking something?"

[No] "Look, Ren, I can't help it! Delicate sweets are my ultimate weakness! Grimm I can handle, but cookies? It's impossible to satiate my need for deserts!"

[Re] "You are a weak, weak little girl."

[No] "Your words hurt me, Ren! Besides, she already said I could have a few!"

[Re] "It's only the second day. How many people are you planning on mooching off of?"

[No] "It's not mooching, it's shaaaaring!"

 **Ren sighed and pinched his forehead. Ruby looked at the clock, noticing that ten minutes had passed.**

[Ru] "Mmm… I can already taste it. Time to grab 'em outta the oven."

 **Ruby grabs an oven mitt hanging from an overtop cupboard and open the oven, grabbing the tray. The cookies look quite large, perfectly portioned.**

[Ru] "Ahhh… Smell that? That's perfection."

 **Placing the pan on the stovetop, Ruby let out a sigh.**

[Ru] "Now we have to wait for it to cool…"

[N] "Hey, Ren."

[Re] "Hm?"

[N] "I'd like to talk to you some time. Are you free today?"

[Re] "I'll just be studying, but you can come in my room and talk. What do you need to talk about?"

[N] "Just some stuff I noticed a while ago."

[Re] "That's awfully vague."

[N] "That's my thing."

[Re] "If you say so."

[Ru] "Where did I put my spatula?! How did this happen?! It was _right_ here in the bowl!"

 **Ruby and Nyter heard a noise from the other end of the kitchen. As they turned their heads, they saw Nora, the culprit, with the spatula in her mouth. She must have eaten the raw batter.**

[Re] "Nora you can't just eat raw batter! It still has raw eggs!"

 **Nora responded, still chewing on the batter.**

[No] "I'll neber die from my schweets! Neber!"

 **After a final sigh, Ren left the room, assumedly to return to his own. Nora ran after him, but turned back for one final statement.**

[No] "Bring my cookies to the room! Thaaaanks!"

 **And thus, she was gone.**

[Ru] "Well I'm definitely not using that one anymore. Is there something else we can use to get these cookies off the pan?"

[N] "Yeah, here."

 **Without thinking, Nyter handed her a dark silver spatula made from his aura.**

[Ru] "... Whoa. You can make other stuff too?"

[N] "Huh? Oh, yeah. But if I do it on impulse, it's basically the equivalent of a cheap knockoff. That thing will probably break if you drop it. As long as I know the general shape and size of something, I can make it on the spot, it'll just be really bad. If I want something to actually have durability, I have to think about it and focus."

[Ru] "Hmm… Can you make a cookie?"

[N] "Uhhh… That's a good question… I don't think it'll be edible."

 **Nyter began to focus on making a cookie with his aura.**

[N] Uh, circular… Small bits of chocolate chip. Doughy-looking… Yeah I think I got it.

 **After a bit of thought, Nyter began to pull the "cookie" from his aura. He opened his eyes and viewed the object in his hand. Cookie-esque it was, yet like all things crafted from his aura, it was just an opaque silver color. A dark silver cookie.**

[N] "Wow. It actually worked. Are you able to eat it?"

[Ru] "Why are you asking me?"

[N] "Kinda talking to myself here, this is new to me. Let's see…"

 **Nyter bit into the object, producing a loud crunch. Bits of the cookie splintered into his mouth.**

[N] "It's kinda like chewing on plastic. It just… breaks."

[Ru] "Well, on that note, the cookies are cooled now."

 **As Nyter spat out the hard bits of cookie, Ruby worked on moving the cookies onto a separate white plate.**

[Ru] "Alllllright! Time to meet up with the team and eat some delicious cookies. Oh, we need milk! Nyter, can you grab a couple glasses and milk while I carry the cookies?"

[N] "Sure thing."

 **Nyter grabbed a few cups from the cupboard and opened the fridge, revealing a whopping four gallons of milk.**

[N] "Uhhh… Whose milk is all this?"

[Ru] "Mine!"

[N] "That's… quite a bit."

[Ru] "I love milk. Strong bones, don't you know?"

[N] "If you say so."

 **He grabbed a gallon and poured four glasses, draining the gallon half-way. He placed it back into the fridge and grabbed the glasses, walking with Ruby to the dorm room. Nyter clumsily tripped on his way but miraculously recovered, not spilling a single drop. As they came to their door, Ruby unlocked it using her scroll and pushed her way inside.**

[Ru] "Whoooo wants cookieeeeees!"

 **The rest of the team stared at her, not expecting such an intrusion with delicacies. Weiss was sitting at her desk assumedly reading her textbook, Yang was practicing boxing between the beds, and Blake was curled up in her bed reading a book. She was the first to respond.**

[B] "Cookies? At 4:00?"

[Ru] "Yep!"

[B] "Isn't it a little early to have cookies?"

 **Ruby gasped, seemingly appalled by Blake's question.**

[Ru] "It is _never_ too early to have cookies! Cookies are a vital part of breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack time!"

 **Yang and Blake both smiled, shrugging.**

[B] "Well, I guess if you're offering, it wouldn't hurt to have a few."

[Ru] "That's the spirit! I've got enough for everyone, so dig in!"

[W] "Cookies? I guess I'll have one or two. Thanks, Ruby."

[N] "I've got milk."

 **Yang and Blake both raised their hands, accepting the gift. Nyter handed a glass to Yang and Blake each.**

[Y] "You look like you're feeling better."

[B] "I guess you weren't sick after all."

[N] "Weiss? Milk?"

 **Weiss nodded, prompting Nyter to hand her a glass as well.**

[N] "And a glass for the baker."

 **Nyter gave the last glass to Ruby, who accepted it with a smile.**

[Ru] "Where's your glass?"

[N] "I couldn't carry five. I've got small hands. Two glasses for each hand was already a task."

[Ru] "I'll get you one. Be right back!"

 **As Ruby left to grab the milk, Nyter realized how awkward it was being around other people without her around.**

[N] "Sooo… How are the cookies?"

[Y] "Great!"

[B] "I like them. Is there vanilla in this recipe?"

[N] "Yep, as per Ruby's request."

[W] "This is nothing compared to my pastry chef back in Atlas, but it's adequate enough I suppose."

[Ru] "Here you go!"

[N] "That was fast. Thanks."

 **Ruby gave a salute and grabbed one of the cookies, eating enthusiastically.**

[N] This girl is the epitome of energetic.

[R] You can hardly keep up with her.

[N] I mean, her semblance _is_ speed after all.

[R] That's not what I meant.

[N] What?

[R] Ah, nothing. Return to your cookie-eating duties.

[N] I hate it when you're cryptic. At least it goes with Galer; with you, it's just weird.

 **Nyter grabbed a cookie from the white saucer and began to eat. It was a strange sensation to him since he couldn't taste the gooey consistency, it was almost as if he was eating flavorless gum. It was a more pleasant texture than other foods, though, so he enjoyed it. Nyter flashed two thumbs-up to Ruby, who smiled at his pleasant reaction. Nyter downed a few gulps of milk to complement the tasteless cookie, but only tasted of plain water, albeit a bit thicker.**

[Ru] "I'm gonna change real quick. Nyter, would you be so kind as to exit the room?"

 **Nyter groaned, but complied with the request. He slid the door to his office and entered inside, waiting until he was given the OK to leave.**

[Ru] "Done!"

 **Nyter left the office, closing the door behind him. Ruby was in her usual black and red garb, which Nyter personally liked better than her other outfits.**

[Ru] "Alllll right, RWBY crew! Since it's only the second day, I thought we'd all get more familiar with each other. So I think we should tell each other about ourselves!"

[N] "Is that so? Weren't you completely _dreading_ having teammates just before the exercise started yesterday?"

[Ru] "Well, that's before I realized how awesome everyone on my team was."

[B] "Aw, Ruby, that's so sweet."

[Y] "I think you're just happy to have your big sis on the same team as you."

[Ru] "... That may or may not be part of it. Anyways! I'll start. Hello everyone, my name is Ruby Rose and I like reading books and slaying monsters. I may be two years younger than you guys, but I can still kick monster butt. I came from Signal Academy, and I designed my very own scythe, Crescent Rose!"

 **As she finished her introduction, she began lovingly stroking her weapon.**

[N] "Riiiiight… Well, if we're really doing this, then let's all get together. Pull up a chair, everyone."

 **Surprisingly complying to his demands, each member grabbed a chair, creating a small circle.**

[N] "Alright big sis, why don't you start?

[Y] "Whoa, don't call me sis, that's weird. Hi guys, my name is Yang Xiao Long, I'm seventeen, and I also came from Signal. I have a kick-ass bike that I ride, and-"

[N] "You have a bike?"

 **Nyter's sudden intrusion caught Yang and the others off-guard. Usually, his interest isn't so piqued that he would cut someone off.**

[Y] "Yeah. It's a yellow and black sports bike. Anyway, I also love kicking Grimm butt. My weapon is Ember Celica, which are two gauntlets I can use to fire shells from. They're my pride and joy, second only to my hair."

 **Yang begins to stroke her blonde hair, sighing in content.**

[N] They really are sisters. That bike, though… I'd like to see that.

[N] "Alright, Blake or Weiss, you're up."

 **Blake motions for Weiss to go next, who politely accepts. Clearing her throat, Weiss begins.**

[W] "My name is Weiss Schnee, and I am also seventeen years of age. I am the Heiress of the Schnee Dust Company in Atlas. I have come to Beacon to expand my horizons. My weapon is Myrtenaster, a Multi-Action Dust Rapier. I acquired Myrtenaster when I was . . ."

 **During Weiss's lengthy introduction, Nyter began to think for a bit.**

[N] Weiss Schnee… Weiss, Schnee… Wait a second. Rodger, do you remember that time we spent a month in Atlas doing absolutely nothing?

[R] Yeah. Way too cold.

[N] Do you remember that Atlesian official we came across when we were pretending to be stationed refugees?

[R] This is an oddly specific memory, but yeah, I think I remember.

[N] After I gave him my fake ID, he deemed I was a worthless nobody and went back to whatever he was supposed to be doing. However, I overheard him talking on his scroll. He said something about tensions being high in the Schnee family, regarding Weiss and her father.

[R] Where are you going with this?

[N] Not to mention Qrow's affiliation with Winter Schnee, who at the time, I thought was Weiss's sister, and proved to be correct. The day I met Winter, she talked about Weiss in a derogatory manner, but ended up defending her actions against her father. Now, do you remember when Ironwood was talking to me about his military? You know, when he said he was trying to "bond" with me? Even though he was aligned with Jacques personally and professionally, he spoke as if the man was scheming, his tone even switched when his name was mentioned. Considering the Atlesian military, Academy, and government are all part of the same entity, that's probably connected somehow.

[R] What's your point?

[N] Something has got to be up with the relationship between Jacques and Atlas's government.

[R] What the hell? That's a bit of a stretch.

[N] Jacques is the kinda guy that cages his birds. He doesn't want them to be free because he knows the damage they can cause to "his" name. Weiss refuses to speak to him, Winter is defending her actions, and she even came all the way to Beacon to get away from him, while masking it under "expanding her horizons". Now, I _hate_ Winter, so if she has a reason to defend Weiss's actions against her father, then something is definitely wrong.

[R] … You got all that from just listening to Weiss introduce herself?

[G] It's my intuitiveness. It's rubbing off on him. He's gathering the clues from the most baseless of facts. I'm proud of him. It's really strange how he remembers select details like this, though. Sometimes he can't even remember people he met two days ago.

[N] It's not like I can help it.

[W] " . . . and that's how Myrtenaster got its name."

 **Nyter looked up just as Weiss finished, noticing the others sighing in relief.**

[B] "Well… My name is Blake Belladonna. I'm seventeen. I came to Beacon to become a huntress, nothing too interesting. My weapon is named Gambol Shroud. I don't know what else to say, so I'll end it there. Nyter?"

 **Blake motions to Nyter, intending for him to introduce himself next.**

[N] "Didn't I already do an introduction in Port's class?"

[B] "That was more of a professional thing. Give us a more personal introduction. We all had to do it, now it's your turn."

 **Nyter scratched the back of his head and began rubbing his hair.**

[N] "Alright, let's see… Hello. My name is Nyter. I am…"

[N] Sixteen? Are we going with sixteen?

[R] Sure, why not?

[N] "... sixteen years old. Uh… I'm enrolled in Beacon. That's about all I got."

 **Blake glared at Nyter disappointedly, while Yang questioned him.**

[Y] "Come on, tell us a little more. We talked about our weapons and where we came from. Why'd you come here? Where ya from?"

[N] "If you want the short answer, I'm 'from' Mistral. I'm sure you guys have heard of the two distinct 'classes' of individuals over in Mistral, and I'm definitely not one of the upper class. My weapons are, uh… Complicated. I came here as a request. I had no desire to become a huntsman three days ago."

[W] "What do you mean you had no desire to become a huntsman? Why'd you come here?"

[Y] "What do you mean your weapons are complicated?"

[B] "You're from Mistral?"

 **Nyter was surprised by the barrage of questions, but he was not going to deny them answers. Deciding that answering Blake's question would be easiest, he started with that one.**

[N] "Yes. Most of my time was spent around the villages and the poorer districts, but I've been across the whole continent. I also spent quite a bit of time in Atlas, but I've never been to Vacuo. That being said, I've spent time on the continent of Sanus, just not in the kingdoms. I haven't been on the western portion of Sanus at all, though, which I'm hoping to change. I've been to Menagerie as well, but only for a couple months. It was such a beautiful place, with some of the most dangerous wildlife I've ever seen. I loved every second of it."

[B] "... Menagerie?"

[N] "Yeah. It's a great place and all, but… speaking politically, I personally think it's awful that faunus were subjected to a small land mass off the coast of Mistral following the Great War. It may be a beautiful place, but I can't help but feel for the faunus who were subjected to being confined to such a small island. Humanity can be quite cruel. I can see where the White Fang are coming from."

 **Blake tilted her head down to think for a few seconds. Moving on to the next questions, Nyter responded to Weiss.**

[N] "When I say I had no desire to become a huntsman, I meant just that. I came here at the request of Ozpin himself. I couldn't deny it even if I wanted to. But hey, now I get a chance to become a protectorate of good, so why not give it a shot?"

 **Weiss seemed dissatisfied with the answer but did not push for further questioning. Turning to Yang, Nyter gave a final answer.**

[N] "I'm sure you've noticed that I walk around with nothing in my hands, nothing on my belt, nothing around my back, no weapons in sight. You guys all have your weapons with you; Weiss holsters her rapier, Ruby wears her scythe across her back, you wear your gauntlets on your hands, Blake unconventionally keeps her katana behind her shoulder. While you all may carry your weapons with you, I simply don't have to."

[Y] "Why not? Didn't you have a rifle? And at one point you had, like, two swords."

 **Nyter groaned in response to her interrogation. He had hoped that she wouldn't have asked any more questions about it.**

[N] "Alright, fine. You've backed me into a wall here, but since you're my teammates, I guess you should know."

 **Opting for a visual aid, Nyter summoned a simple knife with his aura.**

[N] "Tadaa. You have a knife."

 **Before more questions were asked, Nyter quickly summoned a small sword.**

[N] "Tadaa. You have a sword."

[N] Galer, rifle?

[G] If it's only a few seconds.

 **Dropping the two weapons, Nyter held out both his hands and materialized Galer's rifle.**

[N] "Tadaa. You have a gun."

[N] Rodger, bow?

[R] I thought you'd never ask.

 **Placing the rifle carefully on the ground, Nyter held his hands out again. A quiver appeared in the left hand, while a black longbow appeared in the right hand.**

[N] "Tadaa. You have a bow. Better for more quiet missions. That rifle is really loud."

 **Nyter placed the last items on the floor, creating a museum of artifacts by his own creation. The group stared in shock, except Ruby, who had already seen this trick before.**

[N] "That's about half my arsenal. I mean, I can make more, but that's what I can pull from a few seconds of thinking."

 **Yang picked up the small sword, inspecting its craftsmanship. As with all weapons and items that Nyter summons, it is a deep silver color, completely opaque, unable to reflect much light. It was sturdy enough, but Yang decided to bend it. Since it was summoned in a split-second, it didn't have the authenticity of Nyter's normal creations and snapped in half from the force of Yang's tension.**

[N] "I can make it stronger, but that takes a little more time. Weapons made in just a few seconds tend to have very little durability."

[Y] "I'm not gonna lie, that's a pretty cool semblance."

[B] "That does seem very efficient. No weight to carry, and you can use whatever you want during battle, adapting to what you need at hand."

 **Nyter awaited input from Weiss, staring at her.**

[W] "What? Do you expect me to say something?"

[N] "Normally people don't see this every day, so yeah, I expected at least something."

[W] "It's a semblance, I don't see why it's such a big deal."

[N] "That's because it's not my semblance."

 **Realizing that the game has suddenly changed, Weiss finally joined the others in appearing awed, albeit only with a simple raise of the eyelids.**

[N] "Anyone can do this. It just takes years, maybe even decades of hard work and aura training. I was lucky enough to be able to do it at a young age. I was somewhat of a prodigy at aura manipulation. Most people struggle to even make a physical force-field, like the ones that Ren is able to create. Creating objects like this is leagues more difficult than even that."

 **The group appeared far more interested now, even Weiss, who wasn't looking away, which she was apt to do any time Nyter spoke a word.**

[Y] "Why didn't you tell us to begin with? That seems like a pretty big deal. What's the point in trying to hide it?"

[N] "Because if I don't hide it, I get stares. I get questions. I get people thinking I'm something special. I don't want that. I grew up with very little attention to who I was and I'd like it to stay that way."

 **At this point, it was noticeable that Ruby hasn't participated in the questioning or even paying attention to what Nyter was saying.**

[Y] "Isn't this awesome, Ruby? You of all people should be in love with this guy, he can make weapons!"

[R] Foreshadowing?

[N] Ha ha.

 **Ruby's face turned noticeably red, as would any teenager's face if they were trying to be paired with someone.**

[Ru] "Nyter already told me about all this, so I didn't really need to ask about it."

[Y] "What?! He told you and not us?"

 **Nyter realized the trouble he was in and decided to take action. He quickly stood up from his position and crafted an excellent segway.**

[N] "Annnnd on that note, I've got someone I need to see. Good talk, gang! See you later!"

 **Before a response could be given, Nyter zoomed out of the room, quickly de-summoning all weapons from the ground. Taking a speedy retreat, he opened and closed the door, appearing in the hallway. He glanced at his scroll to see how much the act had drained his aura since he's never had an actual visual representation before. It had not drained much, only using around 5% of the total bar. Nyter then traveled in a straight line and appeared at Team JNPR's door, knocking. Nora answered, gleeful in seeing Nyter's face.**

[No] "Where are the cookies?! Did ya get 'em?!"

 **Nyter began to rub his hair.**

[N] "Uhhh… We kinda forgot. Whoops."

 **Nora hung her head in shame and disappointment, leaving the door open. She then walked out of sight, somewhere into the room. Before entering, Nyter called out to Ren.**

[N] "Hey, Ren?"

[Re] "Yeah?"

[N] "Mind if I come in?"

[Re] "Sure."

 **Walking in the room, Nyter noticed a drastic change in scenery. The beds were all on the ground, yet there was still much more walking space than in RWBY's room. There were two desks, and a nightstand separating two of the beds. Two more beds were placed perpendicular to the others, against the north and south walls. Various nicknacks decorated the nightstands, including small chibi figurines which Nyter was unfamiliar with. Jaune was currently cleaning his space, throwing away loose papers and setting up a few more things from his possessions. Pyrrha was sitting at one of the desks, reading one of the textbooks. Nora was seen lying on her bed on her stomach, groaning. Ren himself was sitting on his bed, also reading from one of his textbooks.**

[N] "Already feels homey in here. Anyway, I wanted to ask you something."

[Re] "What's up?"

 **Nyter pulls out his scroll and takes a minute to figure out where his files were, but finally finds what he's looking for.**

[N] "This is you fighting a King Taijitu, right?"

 **Nyter shows his scroll to Ren, playing one of the video footages from Ozpin's computer.**

[Re] "Yeah, where'd you get that?"

[N] "Ehhh… Ozpin let me have access to his little devices. That's not the point. The point is this."

 **Nyter pauses the video on a frame of Ren producing a shield with his aura.**

[N] "And this."

 **Unpausing the video, Nyter finds another clip of Ren producing a shockwave with his aura, sending one of the King Taijitu's fangs into its eye.**

[N] "You're using your aura in very creative ways here. I haven't seen anyone else able to manipulate their aura like that."

[Re] "Years of training aura can go a long way. I may not be the strongest, or the smartest, but I definitely have more control of my aura in a physical form than my peers."

[N] "Is that the extent of your powers?"

[Re] "If you're asking if that's all I can do, no."

[N] "I see. I look forward to standing with you in the battlefield."

[Re] "That sounds awfully militaristic."

[N] "Sorry. Old habits die hard."

 **Nyter spoke up to make sure everyone in the room heard him.**

[N] "I've got something for everyone."

[No] "What is it? Is it cookies?"

 **Nora lifted her head as soon as she heard Nyter finish his sentence. Nyter chuckled at the response.**

[N] "No, it's not cookies. Sorry, Nora. I made ID cards for everyone. They're not the best cosmetically, but I'm not a very creative person when it comes to design."

 **Nyter reached into his pocket and grabbed the last four identification cards. He began to hand them out, first to Ren. He moved on to Nora, Pyrrha, and finally, Jaune. Nyter explained what the cards meant, as well as the CPA and letter values. He realized that since he was wearing only his white t-shirt, rather than his sleeved armor, his upper arm scars were slightly visible, prompting a stare from Pyrrha. She noticed his glance and looked away.**

[J] "So they're kinda like scorecards?"

[N] "If you want to look at it that way. I made these so you could have a small card representing you as a team, and so you could view what needs work. Of course, you don't have to value my opinion. This is just based on what I saw during the training. The values will change accordingly once I see the improvement. I made them primarily for my team, but I decided to make some for you guys too. I may not be mentoring any of you, but it's always nice to have another set of eyes critiquing your performance."

[P] "Thank you, Nyter. Are we allowed to show our scores to each other?"

[N] "I'm certainly not stopping you."

 **As the others compare their scores, Jaune keeps his hidden, trying to play it off by just placing it in his nightstand drawer.**

[No] "So, Jaune, how'd you do?"

[J] "Uh, it's kinda the same as you guys, ya know?"

[No] "Well, what's your score?"

[J] "It's, uh…"

 **To shield him from possible harassment, Nyter steps in to answer for him.**

[N] "Your scores were all pretty similar. You have quite the well-rounded team. Of course, Pyrrha has the highest score, which isn't surprising considering her feats at Sanctum academy. However, Nora is the only person on both team RWBY and JNPR with an S++."

[No] "Really?! Oohhh, I feel special!"

[N] "I have honestly never seen another living being with more strength than you. Congratulations."

 **Nyter gave a lazy salute and began to walk outside. As he opened the door, he saw Yang on the other side, tapping her foot. Immediately closing the door, Nyter turned around and looked back at team JNPR. They were all looking at him, but he simply shrugged.**

[N] "Let's say she breaks my legs. How long would it take to recover?"

[Re] "A point-blank blast from those gauntlets of hers? I'd say quite a long time."

[N] "I'll take those chances. Wish me luck."

 **Opening the door again, Yang was seen with her arms crossed, a displeased expression across her face, and tapping her foot with more force. Nyter noticed she was armed, and her usual combat attire was on.**

[N] "I'm just gonna… Slip by here, if you don't mind."

 **Nyter tries to slip past her frame but is grabbed by the back of his collar.**

[Y] "Just a few questions first."

 **Nyter raises his hands in the air, surrendering to her demands.**

[R] Big trouble now, boyo.

[N] Out of all team RWBY, I think she'd be the most difficult to take down.

[Y] "Just how much do you like my sister?"

 **Looking back, Yang's face no longer appeared agitated. Instead, it was replaced with genuine curiosity.**

[N] "What? Why do you ask?"

[Y] "Boys never really paid any attention to her in school. She had guy friends, but they all thought she was just one of the boys. Now all of a sudden she comes to Beacon, and you hit it off with her right off the bat."

[N] "To be honest, even I didn't know why I was so interested in her. It wasn't until recently that I found the reason, and I'd like to keep that reason to myself."

[Y] "It doesn't have to do with you liking her, does it?"

[N] "What do you mean? Of course I like her, she's a nice girl."

[Y] "I mean… _like_ her."

[N] "I'm not following."

[R] You are _hopeless._

[Y] "You know. Liking her as in, wanting to get to know her."

[N] "Why wouldn't I want to get to know her? She's my teammate isn't she?"

 **Yang sighed in both exasperation and frustration. Nyter knew that such a combination into one breath was deadly, yet he genuinely didn't understand what Yang meant.**

[Y] "I mean having a _crush_ on her."

[N] "A crush?"

[N] A what?

[R] I swear to… Nyter, your social cues and colloquial language _really_ needs some work. You may be a good leader and motivational speaker, but my _god_ , you are really bad at personal interactions. To have a crush on somebody means to like them more than just a friend.

[N] So like a boyfriend/girlfriend?

[R] Oh, so you at least you know _that_ much. I was beginning to lose hope.

[N] "Look, I don't have any plans to date your sister, if that's what you're inferring."

[Y] "You two seem to be getting awfully close. I've noticed she's always sneaking off to go to 'the garden', and then comes back with you. What's up with that?"

[N] Man, it sounds really bad when she puts it like that.

[N] "If you want me to be completely honest, I have never felt attraction to another person."

 **Yang raised an eyebrow.**

[R] Liar.

[N] Shut it.

[N] "The times Ruby and I met in the garden were to talk about my personal affairs. If you'd like me to share them with you, I wouldn't mind. I have no reason to lie or keep anything from you. I had shared things with Ruby because at the time, it just kind of happened."

[Y] "Hmmm… Alright. I'm done questioning. Sorry to make a big scene out of it. I'm a big sis, you know how that is."

[N] No, really, I don't. She's scary.

[R] I'll let you know that if I were right there with you guys, I'd be spilling _all_ the beans.

[N] What do you mean?

[R] I mean I'd be telling Yang all about how you're making efforts to get to know her sister all right.

[N] She's my team leader. I am ordered to protect her and follow her orders. It only makes sense to get personally acquainted, however bad I may be at that. Despite my awkward nature, I believe it's best to be personally invested in your team.

[R] That's not what you were saying about team STRQ.

[N] That's different. They were all emotionally invested in each other. Tai especially. He had a child with two of his team members. Speaking of which… Turns out Yang is his other daughter. Don't know how I didn't make the connection when I heard her name. She's got the same hair and bombastic personality, except she's not faking it.

[R] Well, what do you plan to do now?

[Y] "You coming?"

 **Nyter looked around, realizing that Yang is already at the door, holding it open for him.**

[N] "Yeah."

[N] Well, now I can practice in front of my teammates. Don't have to go sleuthing around anymore. The room is now my safe space.

[R] Aw, that means no more surprise secret meetings with your sweetheart.

[N] You are _actually_ annoying. If I have to make the choice of keeping just one of you, I'm going to pick Galer.

[R] Ouch.

 **Nyter stepped foot in the room and looked around at the others. Yang went right back to boxing, Blake appeared to be reading the same book, Ruby just got finished eating the last bits of cookies, and Weiss continued to study.**

[G] Hm…

[N] Whoa, you're actually thinking now. What's up?

 **Galer was too focused to answer Nyter's question.**

[N] Alright, good talk.

 **Nyter began to stretch, feeling an unusual sense of relaxation.**

[N] I think I'm gonna go for a run.

[G] Wait.

[N] What?

[G] Just wait a few minutes.

[N] Uh, okay.

 **Nyter bided his time by doing simple arm and leg stretches, which turned into a mini calisthenics routine.**

[W] "Nyter? What are you doing?"

[N] "About to go for a run. Gotta be limber before you do any leg work, though. Don't want to strain a muscle."

[W] "Could you keep it down? I'm trying to study."

[N] "Gotcha. I'm almost done anyway."

 **Nyter finished up the rest of the routine, taking only about five minutes in total.**

[G] Five whole minutes. She hasn't moved that page.

[N] What are you talking about?

[G] Blake. She hasn't turned a page since you entered the doorway.

[N] You were seriously listening for five minutes to see if Blake would turn a page?

[G] Yes. I think she's watching you.

[N] Why would she need to watch me?

[G] Her questioning wasn't innocuous. As soon as you said you were from Mistral, she already appeared interested. Almost fearful. Then when you mentioned Menagerie, she questioned even further.

[N] Eh, I don't really care either way. I just want to run.

[G] Just letting you know.

[N] "Alright, I'm headed out for a run. You all are invited join me if you'd like. I'll likely be out until sundown."

[Ru] "Where are you running?"

[N] "Just around campus. Thinking of joining?"

[Ru] "Maybe. I don't really have anything better to do."

[W] "How about doing your homework?"

[Ru] "... Yeah, nothing really better to do."

 **Nyter chuckled and motioned for Ruby to join him. Yang stopped boxing and decided to input.**

[Y] "I think I'll join you guys."

[N] Could you be any more obvious?

[R] Hey, she literally just talked to you about being alone with her sister all the time, I think you should have expected this.

[N] "Oh, wait a second. We need some water. Does anyone have any water bottles?"

[W] "I have some. It's not cold, but you're welcome to it."

 **Nyter closed his fist in his other hand and donned a defeated tone.**

[N] "We can't go running with _warm_ water! Are you mad?! We need a mini fridge in here _pronto_! I'm going to march right up to Ozpin and _demand_ a mini fridge! I will no longer suffer under the tyranny of room-temperature bottled water! No longer, I say!"

 **Nyter's voice had gotten progressively louder, resulting in a near thunderous roar by the end of his monologue. Blake, Yang, Weiss, and Ruby all stared at him, unsure of how to respond.**

[N] "Ahem. My bad. But really, we need a mini fridge. Don't know if my point got across, there. It appears that our run will have to be delayed until we can get this bottled water cold. I refuse to exercise my body without anything but the coldest of beverages."

[Ru] "Nyter, you're acting kinda weird."

[N] "Are you telling me that you don't understand the runner's plight?! You're running sixteen, seventeen kilometers straight, you're drained, out of breath, sweating out of every orifice in your puny body, and then you get handed a luke-warm bottle of water. How much of an insult is that?! It's degradable! Downright ruinous!"

[B] "You seem to be really passionate about your water temperatures."

[N] "Whoa whoa whoa, let's get one thing straight. I'll be the first person to drink hot water if I were out doing a mission and that's the option at hand. But when I go out there, carefree, hoping to get a good run, clear my head, and sweat a bunch, I better have some cold water in my hand waiting to be guzzled. It's the most refreshing substance alive to keep you motivated while running."

[B] "... You are passionate about the strangest things."

[Ru] "We can just let the water cool in the community freezer before we go out."

 **Nyter's eyes widened as he turned to Ruby. He grasped both of her shoulders and looked her in the eyes, letting her know how much of a revelation she just discovered.**

[N] "Ruby! You're a genius! Of course! We can just put it in the freezer for a few minutes! I knew you were a leader with a good head on her shoulders. Already making the right decisions. Now, our problem is, this bottled water is very fine. It's the finest Atlesian water, bottled straight from the purest snow in the Atlesian mountains. I know this brand all too well. And yet, so do others. We may have enemies among us, ladies. One of us will have to stand guard to protect our source while it chills in the freezer. I will be the one to bear this burden. Weiss, you have graced me with one of the finest running waters known to man. For this, I thank you."

 **Nyter turned to Weiss, giving her an over-exaggerated bow.**

[W] "You're acting _really_ strange, even for you."

 **Snapping back to attention, Nyter offered a retort.**

[N] "Ah, you're right. Perhaps I should stop before I get too deep. Alright, I'm off to put these in the fridge. Be ready! As soon as these are chilled, we will begin our trek. Out!"

 **Grabbing three water bottles from Weiss, Nyter rushes to the kitchen. To his gratitude, there were no potential bottled water thieves in the premises. He opened the freezer door and put in the bottles, then sat down and watched the fridge.**

[G] Why are you doing this, exactly?

[N] Doing what?

[G] Being this dramatic. Is it necessary?

[N] Being theatrical is one of the best ways to form relationships. Everyone has a humorous side, no matter how serious they appear to be. Ironwood, Winter, Qrow, etc. I'm a natural actor, so why not bring some humor to the table?

[G] I don't know how humorous you think you're being, but I didn't hear a single chuckle from your audience.

[N] Ah, another plight. The thespian's plight.

[G] Where did this come from so suddenly? Weren't you always the calm, collected, too-cool-to-talk-to-you guy?

[R] Well, Galer, I don't mean to burst your bubble, but you aren't the only one who's influenced young Nyter here. He may have inherited your intuition and discovery, but it appears he's beginning to inherit my amazing social aspects. What a glorious day!

[G] So now I have to deal with _two_ over-dramatic buffoons?

[N] Yes. Yes you do.

 **Nyter sat in the chair, carefully observing the fridge, guarding any potential predators. In a wild student environment such as this, food and drink are apt to go missing in the community fridge. It is an inevitable fact of life, one that Nyter appeared to be familiar with. After a while, Nyter checked on the water. It was cold indeed. He returned to the dorm room, successful from his mission. He knocked on the door and waited for a response. He heard Weiss groan, then a chair being scooted across the ground. The door was opened, with Weiss appearing in the doorway.**

[N] "Hey there. Can I com-"

[W] "Yes, stop asking. You literally have a scroll that can open our door."

[N] "Ah, I forget. Slips the mind, you know?"

 **Weiss rolled her eyes and sat in her previous position. Nyter handed a bottle to Ruby and Yang, and kept one for himself.**

[N] "Alright gang, are we ready to move out?"

[Ru] "Yes, sir!"

[Y] "You betcha."

[N] "On the double! Let's move!"

 **Nyter took charge, immediately turning outside of the room. Ruby and Yang had no trouble keeping up, as Nyter was going a relatively easy pace.**

[N] "Ruby, you've got the speed, but do you have the endurance?!"

[Ru] "The endurance?"

[N] "We're gonna be runnin' 'till sundown! Are you gonna make it?"

[Ru] "Uh, yes sir!"

[N] "Yang Xiao Long! Are you ready to keep running until that orange horizon appears?!"

[Y] "Yes sir!"

[N] "Good! Let's hope that endowment doesn't slow you down!"

[Y] "What?!"

[N] "Come on, a little faster!"

 **The group ran several laps around the academy, occasionally taking drinks from their bottled water. After just an hour, their bottles were already almost depleted.**

[N] "You better ration that water, team! It's the only friend you've got in this exercise!"

 **Nyter still maintained 70% of his water, content with his consumption thus far. A few more hours passed, and the sun began to sink into the horizon. Looking behind him, he noticed Ruby was completely out of breath, heaving in large waves. Even Yang was winded, holding her left hand against hip as she ran.**

[N] "Phew! Alright, gang. Good work. I think that's enough running for now. Anyone need the rest of my wat-?"

 **Before Nyter could finish, Ruby snatched the bottle and guzzled the few remaining gulps of water in Nyter's bottle. She handed the crumpled bottle back to Nyter and placed her hands on her knees, catching her breath.**

[Y] "Geez, Ruby. You're outta shape."

[N] "Give her a break, she's fast. She could beat any one of us in a speed race. Besides, you're not looking too hot yourself."

 **Yang wiped the sweat from her forehead.**

[Y] "Me? Never felt better. Phew! That was fun."

[Ru] "We ran… huuuh… for so… long! Too long!"

[N] "Well, you could have quit at any point, but you chose to stick with it! Good on you. I half expected both of you to give up. It seems I have underestimated the resolve of my teammates."

 **Yang gave a quick thumbs up with a toothy smile. Her bangs appeared drenched in either water or sweat. It wasn't a particularly hot day, but it was warm enough to incite a healthy amount of sweating. Ruby appeared in the same shape, with the added bonus of being winded. She raised a fist in response to Nyter's statement, still breathing heavily.**

[N] "Alright, good work everyone, let's go back and get some fluids. Maybe a shower."

 **Nyter, Ruby, and Yang each made their way back to the dorm, feeling accomplished in today's exercise. They each knew that it was going to be a very eventful year together. Ruby almost collapsed, completely drained of energy and unable to bear the weight of her body with her legs any longer. Her breathing returned to a steady pace, but she was obviously still exhausted.**

[Ru] "Can't… Walk… Any… Further… Uuueeghh…"

[N] "Looks like one of your fellow soldiers is gonna have to carry you to base. Yang, are you up for the task?"

[Y] "I don't wanna carry 115 pounds back to the dorm. You're a strong guy, you can handle her."

[N] "... You're literally stronger than I am."

[Y] "Eeehh, you'll be fine. You worked out those legs, let's see how good those arms are."

[N] "Alright Ruby, you heard the platoon leader! Up on my back, let's go. Come on, I gotcha."

 **Nyter helped Ruby get on his back, showing her the proper way to cross her arms around his neck and in front of his chest.**

[N] "Good, now just wrap your legs around my waist- that's it, you got it. Now just sit tight, we'll be back in no time. I'll hold your legs to make sure they don't slip off."

 **As Nyter began walking towards the dorm with Yang, he could notice Ruby's gentle breathing against his neck. It was very calming to him, certainly unlike anything he's felt before. This was perhaps the most intimate moment that Nyter has had with another person. At this moment, he knew he had a duty to the protect the comrade on his back. It wasn't as though he was compelled to, or forced to. He simply** _ **wanted**_ **to. Ruby was special to him, for sure, and he had finally realized this.**

[R] Finally taking your feelings into consideration, eh?

[N] Yeah. I'm going to protect her with my life. I'm going to fulfill Summer's wish. I've assigned myself to her, there's no going back. She's too sweet and innocent to leave this world. I really like her. It's definitely something about her that's keeping me so attached. I don't know what it is. Maybe it's my previous attachment with Summer… The way I felt when I knew I couldn't save her. I couldn't keep her alive. I won't let that happen this time. Ruby Rose is safe with me.

[R] Wow. Didn't expect you to be so open about it. That kinda ruins the fun.

[N] Exactly.

[R] You bastard.

 **Nyter smiled, trying to keep Ruby's legs from slipping off his hips. She appeared to be falling asleep, as her breathing steadily became more light. Ruby's head was now resting against his back, and he could only assume it meant she was listening to his heart beat. Nyter felt something inside his chest, unsure of what emotion he was feeling.**

[N] Well, that's new.

[R] Whoa, your heart rate's goin' up boyo, better calm down before you have a heart attack.

[N] I'll be fine.

 **Continuing his trek back to the dorm room, Nyter couldn't help but retain his smile. He was in a safe place, now. There was really no need to worry. He has friends who truly have his back, and he has theirs. He's not being hunted down, as far as he knows. Life was… in a word, sublime. Nyter was on his way to discovering more emotions, becoming more empathetic and honing not only his combat skills, but his social skills as well. Although he had a long road ahead, Nyter was definitely looking forward to it.**


	8. Chapter 8

I'm literally editing this chapter right now at 11:00 on Saturday, an hour before it's posted. Chapter 9 is definitely being released next Saturday, but further chapters will have no guaranteed ETA. I'll try doing a bi-weekly release, but that may or may not work out depending on the lengths of the chapters. Either way, here's chapter 8!

* * *

 **Chapter 8**

 **Ruby gleefully cheered, content with her triumph over Nyter. They were currently playing a game of blackjack, sitting in the center of their room. Yang, Weiss, and Blake were not present. At this time on a Saturday afternoon, Nyter guessed they were probably out doing errands or eating lunch. Ruby grabbed Nyter's cards and put them back into the deck, shuffling for a new set. Before dealing the next pair of cards, Ruby asked for Nyter's attention.**

[Ru] "Hey Nyter?"

[N] "What, you wanna beat me again?"

[Ru] "I was just gonna ask how long until the others came back. They've been gone for a while."

[N] "When did they leave? I woke up and they were already gone. I haven't seen them all day."

[Ru] "Me either… I hope they don't turn up any time soon."

 **Her statement had confused Nyter, as he was unsure what she meant.**

[N]"Why not? Do you not enjoy the company of your teammates?"

[Ru] "Well, it's not that… I just like spending time with you, Nyter."

[N] "You still spend time with me while our team is around."

[Ru] "No, I mean _just_ you, Nyter…"

[N] Is there a hidden meaning behind that, Rodger?

 **There was no response from Rodger, but Nyter still felt his presence.**

[N] You're ignoring me at a crucial time, you bastard. Guess I'm on my own.

[N] "Why just me? I'm not any different from anyone else."

 **Ruby smiled, realizing that Nyter is oblivious to most forms of interpretation inside social settings. She admired his straightforwardness, but wished he would sometimes pick up on certain phrases.**

[Ru] "You _are_ different from everyone else, though. A lot different. And I like that."

 **Nyter scratched his head, unable to comprehend whether or not she was making fun of him. Her tone was certainly serious, which made things difficult for him.**

[N] If she were joking, or making fun of me, she would have a more playful tone, right? Is that how things work? Man, I need to work on this…

[N] "I hate to ask, but what do you mean? What's so different about me?"

 **Ruby put down her cards and looked at Nyter's hand. She began to encroach her fingers towards Nyter, trying to be as subtle as possible.**

[Ru] "Well… I think you're a really nice guy. I mean, even after everything that happened to you, you're not bitter in the slightest. In fact, you just seem to want to help people. You're great with motivating the other students, and you even get along with all of the professors. The reason you're so different is because I can't find a single bad thing about you. Normally I don't go looking for bad traits people have, but even when I _try_ to find one with you… I can't."

 **Ruby's fingers finally met Nyter's. She hooked her index finger around his, prompting him to freeze.**

[N] Rodger please god help me. I am not used to this. What is happening.

 **Still no response from Rodger. Every nerve in Nyter's body was firing in reaction to this foreign stimulus. He was unable to move, completely captured by Ruby's small finger.**

[Ru] "I know you're bad with speaking to people in general, but… I think it's kinda cute. You get really cute and funny when you're in an awkward position."

 **Unhooking her index finger, Ruby crawled her hand on top of Nyter's, causing his breathing to grow more shallow.**

[Ru] "You know, I've always wondered why you keep wearing that thing on your chest all the time. I know you said your aura doesn't protect you like usual, but come on, you're in your own room. There's no need to be so protective. You're in a safe place. You should take it off."

 **Nyter inhaled deeply, trying to get his breathing under control. It wasn't working.**

[Ru] "What, are you shy? Do you need some help?"

 **Ruby scooted her body closer to Nyter and used her free hand to loosen the bits of string that tightened the sides of his leather cuirass. Nyter felt sweat appearing on his forehead. For reasons unknown to him, he began taking off his cuirass. Once it was off, Ruby began to giggle.**

[Ru] "You know, I think white really suits you. Those undershirts make you look _really_ good."

 **Ruby placed a hand on his chest, feeling the scars that lied underneath his shirt. Thoughts began racing through his head, such as what he should do in this situation. He couldn't make any clear or coherent thoughts as Ruby's hand traced his chest. Utterly frozen, he simply had no clue what to do or how to react. Nyter, realizing he still hasn't responded since Ruby touched his hand, decided to try and form a sentence.**

[N] "Ruby… What are you…!"

[Ru] "Since you're having trouble picking up what I'm saying, I'll make it clearer."

 **Ruby slightly pushed on the center of Nyter's chest, knocking him off-guard. His back was leaning against Weiss's bed, while Ruby crawled towards him on all fours. She placed both of her hands on Nyter's legs and moved her face inches away from his.**

[Ru] "I like you, Nyter."

 **Leaning in, she moved towards his right ear, planning to continue her statement. Ruby's black and red hair brushed against Nyter's cheek, sending a flurry of emotions that he couldn't quite understand. The scent of her hair sent him in a bliss. It was just like Summer's. The sweet smell of a fruit that he could never quite put his finger on. He could remember the scent all too well.**

[Ru] "I _really_ like you, Nyter."

 **Her voice was very soft. Nyter could feel the warm air from her breath as she spoke the words, giving him goosebumps all over his body.**

[N] Rodger… What do I do… For the love of god, please help me…

 **No response.**

[N] Damn it… I'm completely frozen. Where did all of this confidence come from all of a sudden? I never thought she'd be so open about something like this… I'm at a loss for words. And a loss for actions. Why can't life just be simple? Why am I thrust in situations like this? Do I reciprocate? What do I say?

 **Ruby leaned back, bringing her face to a stop just as it was before. Her silver eyes penetrated Nyter, captivating him in their beautiful silent melody. He was completely entranced by her words and more so just her gaze. At this moment, Nyter was powerless.**

[Ru] "Well? Do you like me too?"

 **Nyter's mind raced, trying to find the right words. Ruby knew he was unable to speak and decided to try something else. Putting a finger to her mouth, she came to a conclusion.**

[Ru] "I know what to do. Can you move your hand?"

 **Nyter closed his hand and opened it, struggling to even manage that feat.**

[Ru] "Okay, good. Since you're having trouble with words, let's use actions! If you don't like me, I want you to close your hand. If you do, I want you toooo… Kiss me!"

 **Caught completely off-guard, Nyter sharply inhaled.**

[N] ihaveneverkissedanotherpersononthisplanethowdoidothiswhatdoidowhatifijustdonothing

 **An amalgam of jumbled words entered his brain, making him unable to render a complete thought. Nyter's emotions decided to hijack his body, making him move on impulse. He closed the gap between them, placing his lips on Ruby's. He heard a gasp from Ruby, obviously surprised from Nyter's sudden motion. Before his mind could race again, he was hurled upright. He opened his eyes and looked around the room. Everyone was still asleep. Looking at his watch, the time was 6:00 AM. Today was a school day, much to Nyter's disappointment. The date was several weeks after school had started. At his left was Ruby, sleeping soundly. Nyter rubbed his head.**

[N] I have _got_ to stop sleeping in Ruby's bed…

[R] Have a nice dream, pal?

[N] Please tell me you don't know what happened…

[R] Well, I could certainly feel your emotions. That was a wild ride, huh? Your thoughts also projected. You were saying my name, asking for my help, and you usually only do that when someone says something you don't understand.

[N] Alright, you can stop there.

[R] And usually when your thoughts are racing like that, it's gotta be _really_ bad.

[N] Stop.

[R] I think the word "Ruby" came up quite a bit as well. Using those connections…

[N] Rodger.

[R] I have deduced that you were having a wet dream of Ruby!

[N] Not even close. Well, a little bit close.

[R] I see. Didn't get past first base, huh? Terrible. I feel for you, Nyter.

 **Ignoring Rodger's teasing, Nyter began to stretch. Several weeks have passed since the first few days of school, allowing Nyter to completely adjust to his schedule. He wakes up every day naturally around 6 AM and prepares to get ready at around 6:30. His morning routine includes stretching, taking a short run for fifteen minutes, showering, eating breakfast, possibly conversing with his team, and finally arriving at Port's class ten minutes early. However, Nyter was deciding to switch up his routine today. Stealthily climbing out of Ruby's bed, he opened one of the two mini fridges that Ozpin had set up for him. Oz had been surprisingly supportive of Nyter's request for a mini fridge, stating that any accommodations Nyter would like were only a polite question away. Inside of the fridge were two cartons of eggs, purchased by Weiss, presumably using her personal funds. Looking for other breakfast foods, Nyter spotted avocado, bacon and several fresh fruits, including ripened bananas, strawberries, blueberries, pears, and raspberries. There was bread sitting to the left of the fridge, which he grabbed as well. Opening the door to his office, he scavenged chia seeds and quinoa from his duffle bag. Nyter's favorite food was nuts, and as such, he found assorted nuts and dried fruits used to complement them, which he often combined to make a trail mix. Finally, Nyter grabbed a bag of granola, hoping it would go well with the dried fruit. Gathering all the materials, Nyter headed for the kitchen.**

[N] Alright, let's see if I can remember what I learned about cooking breakfast food. I've managed eggs before for Ozpin, and he said they were pretty good. Then again, that was years ago, and I don't know if he was just saying that because I was young and dead inside. Wait, I have access to the internet. I can just look up some good recipes. I hope my food doesn't turn out to be terrible.

 **As he reached the kitchen, Nyter noticed it was fairly dark. Turning on the lights, he set the food on the table and looked at the time. It was 6:10, leaving plenty of time to cook breakfast and get ready for the day. Nyter preheated the oven to 350 degrees.**

[N] First up: let's bake this fruit so it gets nice and wilted. Summer used to do this for me, it was one of my favorite dishes back when I could actually taste. Hopefully Ruby would like it.

[R] Oh my god.

[N] What?

[R] What you just said.

[N] What part of what I said was funny?

[R] "Hopefully Ruby would like it."

[N] Oh, I didn't even notice.

[R] So now it's subconscious huh?

 **Focusing on the task at hand, Nyter placed the fruit on a baking sheet with parchment paper. Looking for a few spices in the cabinets, there was a selection of various types of cinnamon.**

[N] Perfect.

 **Nyter dashed the fruit with cinnamon, adding a pinch of salt. He then carefully placed the fruit in the oven, then turned on one of the burners for the stovetop. Nyter worked quickly, grabbing a saucepan and filling it with water. Placing the saucepan on the active burner, he prepared the quinoa in a portioned bowl, ready to be placed into the saucepan once it began boiling. Turning on a second burner, Nyter placed a frying pan to the right of the saucepan. He coated the pan with butter, then began frying a few eggs. As they began to cook, he decided to make them scrambled. The water began boiling, so he poured in the quinoa and covered the saucepan, turning down the burner to a low heat. Once the eggs were fluffy, he set them aside in a small bowl. Checking on the fruit, it appeared fairly wilted, so he turned off the oven and allowed it to retain its temperature until the other dishes were finished. Nyter checked on the quinoa periodically, making sure to not overcook it. Once it was a fluffy consistency, he poured it into a separate bowl, mixing in the scrambled eggs. Looking for more spices, Nyter found garlic salt and lemon pepper. He had never had lemon pepper, but its scent provided him with an incentive to add a dash in the dish, along with the garlic salt. He cut up an avocado with a cheap knife he produced from his aura and declared the quinoa a finished dish. By this time, the fruit was ready to be taken out, so he placed it upon the stovetop and grabbed two bowls. He separated the warm fruit into the two bowls and allowed them to sit until he was completely finished. There was no toaster, so Nyter was forced to toast the bread in the oven, turning it on to a broil. After two minutes, he took the bread out and set it on a plate placed on the counter. Nyter coated the bread with nut butter, then sliced a couple bananas and placed the slices on the coating. The last step was adding a healthy serving of chia seeds, creating texture and a great extra taste. Nyter grabbed the two bowls of fruit and set them side by side on the table. He then added granola into the mix, giving the bowl texture.**

[N] Alright, we're all done. We've got scrambled egg quinoa with avocado and lemon pepper, warm fruit bowls with granola, and banana nut toast with chia seeds. Now there's a slight problem. I have to get the girls in here, but if I leave, Nora will most likely come in here and snatch the food. Hmmmm…

[R] Why don't you just scream at them?

[N] Your advice is the worst.

[R] I try my best here.

[G] Why don't you just use your-

[N] Wait! I can just use my scroll. How do I keep forgetting about this? I _just_ used it to look up this quinoa recipe.

[G] Well, that's what I was going to suggest.

[N] My bad. Let's see if I can call any one of them.

 **For the first time, Nyter attempts to call someone else's scroll. He opens his contact information and searches for Ruby's name. Finding a small phone symbol next to her name, he presses it, successfully starting the call. He puts the scroll to his ear, listening to the ringing. The call continues until a voicemail is heard.**

[N] Must be a heavy sleeper. Let's try Blake.

 **Nyter attempts to ring Blake, listening to the ringing once again. After a few minutes, a sleepy Blake answers the scroll.**

[B] "Hello…?"

[N] "Sorry to wake you guys up so early, but it's almost 7, so I made you guys some breakfast. Wake up the others and tell 'em to come to the kitchen. It's quite a healthy breakfast."

[B] "Alright, be right there."

 **Blake hung up the call and Nyter took a seat to wait for the others. A few minutes passed before Blake entered the kitchen, still wearing her pajamas.**

[B] "The others are coming. So, why did you make breakfast early?"

[N] "You know, in hindsight, I probably should have waited a little longer before starting. I thought it would take longer than it actually did. But hey, it's food, I think that's a worthy trade-off."

[B] "What did you make?"

[N] "Main dish is quinoa with scrambled eggs and avocado. There's also banana toast with nut butter and chia seeds. We've got warm fruit bowls, but there's only two of them, and I'm saving one for Ruby because she likes sweets."

[B] "That's thoughtful. Can we just help ourselves?"

[N] "I'm not stopping you from eating what you want, but be considerate for the others. I made a serving for each person, so at the very least, eat your portion and wait for others before trying to eat more."

[B] "Alright."

 **As Blake finishes her statement, Weiss and Yang enter the kitchen. Yang is stretching her arms, appearing more awake than her cohort, who is currently yawning and rubbing her eyes.**

[Y] "What's on the menu?"

[N] "Quinoa with scrambled eggs and avocado, warm fruit bowls and one is reserved for Ruby, and banana nut toast with chia seeds."

[Y] "I didn't know you could cook."

[W] "I thought you couldn't taste… How do we know if what you made actually tastes good?"

"By eating it."

 **Weiss resigned herself and walked to the table, picking up the quinoa first. She began eating and appeared pleased, as did Yang and Blake.**

[Y] "I've never had quinoa, but it tastes pretty good."

[B] "This recipe is really good. I like the lemon pepper."

[W] "It's okay."

 **Nyter praised himself, glad that he made the move with the lemon pepper.**

[N] "Where's Ruby?"

[Y] "We woke her up, but she just looked around all confused and asked where you were. Her face was red and flustered, and she sounded really weird. She told us to go ahead and leave because she needed to do something."

[N] "Do what?"

[Y] "I dunno, I was hungry so I just went ahead and come over here."

[N] Huh, that's weird.

 **Rodger began uncontrollably laughing, harder than Nyter has heard from him.**

[N] What's so funny?

 **Rather than answer the question, Rodger begins to laugh even harder. Even though he had no physical lungs, he still inhaled deeply to continue his laughing fit.**

[R] I can't believe it! This is great! This is so great!

[N] What?!

 **Once Rodger's laughter finally subsided, he began to explain.**

[R] Ahhhh… I haven't laughed like that in a _while_. Okay, so, after your dream, I figured she had the same dream, since you know, the last time you dreamt, your aura was almost linked to hers.

[N] Oh no…

[R] And Yang just said that Ruby woke up confused and asked where you were.

[N] This is going to be embarrassing.

[R] And for the grand finale, Ruby told everyone to go ahead because she "needed to do something."

[N] Now you lost me.

[R] Oh I know. That's partly what makes it funny. You don't even know.

[N] Know what?

[R] Alright Nyter, here's a question for you. What do adolescent teenage girls do when they're alone and possibly aroused?

[N] You act as though I've been an aroused teenage girl before. I don't know.

[R] Hopeless! You're hopeless, Nyter!

[N] Well, what else would she do?

 **By perfect cue, Ruby enters the kitchen, slipping in unnoticed by the others, except for Nyter. Her hair was very unkempt and she appeared more timid than usual. She was wearing her usual pajamas.**

[N] Should I… say anything?

[R] Tell her about the food at least.

[N] "Uh… Hey, Ruby."

 **As Nyter spoke to her, Ruby sharply inhaled.**

[Ru] "Hi, um, what's for breakfast?"

[N] "Quinoa with avocado and eggs, banana nut toast with chia seeds, and I made a warm fruit bowl for you. Here, I'll grab it."

 **Nyter travels to the fridge and takes out a gallon of milk. He poured the cold milk into the warm fruit bowl, creating a temperature disparity, enhancing the flavors. Traveling back to Ruby, who was now sitting at one of the tables, he handed it to her along with a spoon.**

[Ru] "Thanks…"

[N] "You alright?"

[Ru] "Just really tired."

 **Nyter felt bad for Ruby, as she obviously felt some sort of embarrassment.**

[Ru] "Are there… strawberries in here?"

[N] "Mhmm. Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and pears."

[Ru] "That's my favorite food. This is actually really good…"

[N] "I'm glad, it's one of the few things I actually know how cook without looking at a recipe."

 **Nyter looked around to the others, asking them a question.**

[N] "Well, who wants the other fruit bowl?"

 **Yang raises her hand, already finished with the quinoa.**

[Y] "I'll take it!"

[N] "Alright, just pour some milk in it and you're good to go."

 **Following Nyter's instructions, Yang begins to eat the fruit bowl. She gives a thumbs up, proving its authentic taste.**

[N] "Even a man who can't taste food can be a good cook. I'm glad you guys liked the food. How's the banana toast?"

[B] "It's my favorite so far. The chia seeds are an interesting addition. I like it."

[Y] "Anything with bananas is fine by me."

[W] "I think it's well done. A simple dish, but healthy enough."

[N] "Ruby, would you like some of the toast?"

 **Ruby answered with a nod, mindlessly eating her fruit bowl. She appeared deep in thought, perhaps reminiscing over a memory. Nyter grabbed a piece of toast and handed it to Ruby, who put down the bowl and took the toast. Once again, she ate while staring off into space.**

[N] "Is everything… Okay?"

 **Ruby answered with another slow nod.**

[N] "Ruby, what's wrong?"

 **Once again, Ruby simply nodded to Nyter's question.**

[N] She is _so_ out of it.

[R] Give her a break. Who knows how much further her dream went than yours?

[N] I don't know if I'm comfortable thinking about that.

[R] She probably made it to third base.

[N] I don't want to understand that analogy.

[R] She does now.

[N] You're awful.

[N] "Well, I hope everyone enjoyed the food. I'm glad I could cook for you guys. Ruby, are you going to eat this bowl of quinoa?"

 **Ruby suddenly snapped to attention, looking at Nyter with blushed cheeks.**

[Ru] "Huh?"

[N] "Do you want this? Or are you full from the toast and fruit?"

[Ru] "I'm pretty full. Thanks, though."

[N] "Alright, I'm gonna eat this and then take a shower."

 **Ruby looked around to the others, making sure they were distracted before she got Nyter's attention. Once she realized they were busy eating, she used her finger to indicate she wanted to tell Nyter something. Nyter leaned in closer, allowing Ruby to whisper.**

[Ru] "Can you come with to the room before you shower?"

[N] "Uh, sure."

[R] Oh boy.

[N] She probably just wants to talk. Don't get too excited.

[R] I like how you added "probably". You're secretly wishing for it, aren't you?

[N] Yes.

[R] Stop it! You're supposed to deny!

[N] I want her, Rodger. I want Ruby Rose.

[R] No! Curse you, Nyter!

 **Nyter smirked as he finished up his quinoa. As soon as he was finished, he placed the bowl down and set a farewell.**

[N] "I'll do the dishes. Set them in the sink and I'll wash them as soon as I'm done with the shower. See you guys later."

 **With a wave, Nyter began to walk towards the dorm room. He heard Ruby stumbling out of her seat, and felt a grasp on his white undershirt. Looking behind him, Nyter saw Ruby fixed onto his shirt with her hand. He decided to continue walking, making his way to the dorm while Ruby was attached, following closely behind. Nyter unlocked the door with his scroll and walked inside the room, holding the door for Ruby. She entered and waited for Nyter to close and lock the door before speaking. Avoiding eye contact, she asked Nyter a question, speaking softly.**

[Ru] "Did that… Really happen…"

[N] Should I play dumb? What's the best course of action?

[R] You take the wheel. This is your situation. I would have told you if you had just played along like usual, but you had to outplay me.

[N] Fine.

[N] "Did what really happen?"

[Ru] "So you don't know? But it felt so, _so_ real…"

[N] "Are you talking about when I kissed you?"

 **Upon hearing Nyter's words, Ruby gasped. Her face turned red once again. She continued looking down for a bit, thinking of her next words.**

[R] WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

[N] You told me to take the wheel. I'm not just going to play dumb.

[R] You are a big, dumb idiot.

[Ru] "And… the other stuff…?"

[N] "So you did have the same dream as me, huh?"

 **Ruby looked up at Nyter, staring him in the eyes.**

[Ru] "Dream?"

[N] "Yeah. Don't worry, it was all just a dream. I had the same one. Except mine stopped after I kissed you. My body couldn't take it, so I jolted awake."

[Ru] "How is it possible that we had the same dream?"

[N] "I really wish I had an answer for you, Ruby, but I don't. My best guess is that our auras connected while we slept, for whatever reason. But it's just a guess. I'm really reaching with that one."

 **Exhaling, Ruby had an expression of content.**

[Ru] "It was so real. I thought it really happened because at the end of the dream we went to sleep. Then I woke up and you were gone, and everyone told me you made breakfast. I was so confused."

[N] "What took you so long to come to the kitchen? You were the last one to arrive, your fruit bowl almost got cold."

 **Ruby immediately looked down from Nyter's gaze.**

[Ru] "I was just sleepy, so I stayed in bed for a little bit."

[N] "Really? You're usually the first person up in the morning, I expected you to be the one who walked in first, not Blake."

[Ru] "I guess I was just dazed after that."

[N] "I think this is resulting from me sleeping in your bed every couple days. It may happen again if I continue."

 **Looking back at Nyter, Ruby appeared distressed.**

[N] "What? What's wrong?"

[Ru] "This isn't gonna ruin our friendship, is it…?"

[N] "Oh, Ruby…"

 **Nyter placed a hand on Ruby's head and rubbed her hair, then lifted her chin to make eye contact.**

[N] "It was just a dream, okay? Sometimes we do stuff in our dreams that we wouldn't normally do in real life. I know that I've punched Ozpin in the face quite a few times in my own dreams, and I'd never do that outside of a dream. Well, I wouldn't say 'never'."

 **Ruby, obviously cheered up, smiled, and gave Nyter a hug. She squeezed fairly tightly, prompting Nyter to reciprocate.**

[Ru] "Sorry I thought it would ruin our friendship. I was just freaking out a little bit."

[N] "Honestly, I don't think a single thing could ruin our friendship, Ruby."

 **After hearing this, Ruby broke the hug and smiled again, eyes glistening.**

[Ru] "Really?"

[N] "Absolutely. The bond I share with you is pretty unique. I've never really had a friend before. I wouldn't trade it for a single thing on this planet."

[Ru] "Nyter… You're so sweet."

[N] "Just speaking the truth. I feel like I should be more open to people. It would really help with developing my emotions and feelings. I want to be normal like everyone else."

[Ru] "Well, as long as you're not _too_ normal… Weird people are awesome too."

 **Nyter chuckled, amused by her statement.**

[N] "I don't think I'll ever be truly normal. But I can at least act like it sometimes. I'm gonna take a shower now."

 **Giving Ruby a final head rub, Nyter walked to his office, taking off his shirt on the way. He heard Ruby inhale a slight gasp. Turning around, Nyter tilted his head.**

[N] "Hm?"

[Ru] "Nothing… Just reminded me of something."

 **Nyter shrugged, opening the door of his office. He threw in his shirt and grabbed one of his towels, along with a small shower caddy which carried shampoo, body wash, face wash, and shaving cream, along with a small pack of razors.**

[N] I'm so glad Weiss bought a towel for me.

[R] That's probably the nicest thing she's ever done. For anyone.

[N] Well, she covered it up by saying, "Stop stealing our towels, you mongrel. Use this one."

[R] What a tsundere.

[N] I remember when you taught that word to me. Good times. Made a lot of women mad with that one. Weiss is one of them.

 **Nyter bid Ruby farewell, who reciprocated with a small wave. She climbed up to her bed and covered herself up.**

[N] Going back to sleep after you woke up half an hour ago? If you're awake for this long, you should just stay awake. No point in going back to sleep. Unless you wake up to your classmate falling out of bed and vomiting in a trash can.

[R] I don't think she's going to be sleeping, boyo.

[N] What else would you do if you're covering yourself up in bed?

[R] Sigh. I'm going to educate you on women's health.

[N]Good, maybe I won't be so clueless next time.

 **As Nyter opened the door, he found Yang and Blake on the other side.**

[Y] "Blake made me do it!"

[B] "What?! You were already here when I came over!"

[N] "... What?"

 **The two women looked at each other, then Yang responded.**

[Y] "Nothing! Go take your shower, big boy."

 **Blake appeared to exhale softly, then made her way inside the room, with Yang following. Weiss appeared shortly after, thanking Nyter for the breakfast.**

[N] "I half-expected to hear you call me a mongrel for not having a shirt on."

[W] "I'm used to it now. It's not like I pay attention to it."

[R] Hah! Classic tsundere line.

[N] "Glad I'm spared from your insults. Maybe I'm growing on you."

 **Weiss shrugged and entered the room.**

[N] She seems fairly apathetic today. Not a single "mongrel" or "dolt" yet. In fact, she even said my food was okay and thanked me for it.

[R] Eh, she's probably just tired. Women tend to only care about things after 8 AM.

[G] Don't fill the poor kid's head with lies, Rodger.

[N] I'm not _that_ gullible, Galer.

[G] You believed him when he said women like to be insulted.

[R] They do! You insult them, then you give them a compliment so they appreciate it more!

[N] Well, before this gets worse, I'm gonna go shower.

 **Nyter traveled through the hall, making his way to the men's bathroom. He looked at his watch, reading 7:20. Once he arrived at the shower, Nyter made his way inside, closing the curtain. He stripped down and stared at his nude figure.**

[N] Man, it's getting time to shave.

[R] Why do you shave your body? You've gotta keep it all. Women love hairy men.

[G] Another lie. It's all a preference.

[N] I don't do it for them, I do it for me. I don't even shave my whole body, it's just my pubic hair, axillary hair, and my face. I hate those patches of hair specifically. It chafes and sometimes my leg armor pulls on it. I have sensitive skin around that area. It's one of the few places on my body completely untouched by scars. As for the axillary hair, it's just a preference. I don't grow much anyway, might as well get rid of it. Same with my facial hair.

[R] Whatever you say, pal.

[G] I support your decision, Nyter. Don't let Rodger convince you to rid your shaving habits.

[N] Thanks, Galer.

 **Nyter turned on the water, keeping it on a mild temperature. He applied the shaving cream to his pubic region, beginning to shave. As with his hair, it was a dark silver, grayish tint. He then moved up to his axillary hair, being careful not to cut himself. Finishing up the shower, Nyter covered his lower body with his towel and walked to the sink. He observed the facial hair, noting its growth.**

[N] Honestly, it would be better if my facial hair just didn't grow. It looks so strange.

 **Unlike the rest of Nyter's hair, his facial hair was pure white. It grew at a steady pace, but was hardly noticeable due to his pale complexion.**

[N] And another thing… Why don't I ever tan? I have two skin tones, white or red. I've been outside in the burning Mistral heat for weeks at a time and all I get is a sunburn. No tan. Oh well. Let's get rid of this hair.

 **Nyter shaved his face and grabbed his shower caddy. He made the trek back to his room, gathering stares from classmates as usual.**

[N] It's not like I'm hurt by it, but why all the stares? Have they never seen scars before?

[R] Definitely not the amount you have. You look like you've been tortured. Which is exactly what happened.

[N] Ha. Ha.

 **Before reaching his room, Nyter bumped into a large male with short, brown hair. He was a stocky individual, definitely an entire head taller than Nyter. His eyes were a deep blue, glaring at Nyter.**

[C] "Watch out next time, shorty."

[N] "Good one. Maybe I could teach you better comebacks if you were intelligent enough to understand them. See you in class, Cardin."

 **The student scoffed but continued walking down the hallway.**

[R] You certainly handled that like a professional.

[N] I've made tougher enemies than that kid. He might be older, but I can definitely take him out in less than a few seconds.

[G] I don't doubt it.

 **Nyter knocked on his door, waiting for a response. He covered up the peephole at the top of the door, making sure Weiss couldn't see him. As predicted, she opened the door.**

[N] "Hey there. Can I-"

 **Weiss left before Nyter finished his question, rolling her eyes.**

[N] "That's rude."

 **Nyter walked inside, making his way to the office. He stepped inside and took off his towel, shifting through his clothes in his duffle bag, which one of the girls kindly returned to the room while he was gone. As Nyter grabbed his undergarments, Yang brazenly walked into the room.**

[Y] "Hey, have you seen my- oh my god! You have a _nice_ butt!"

 **Nyter's back was currently to Yang, leaving his frontal unexposed to her. Looking over his shoulder, Nyter responded to her statement.**

[N] "Years of running and squats does a body good."

 **After Nyter's statement, Yang continued to stare as he put on the short undergarment.**

[Y] "Well, you're not shy of being naked, aren't you?"

 **Her question's tone answered itself, but Nyter decided to provide a retort.**

[N] "Nudity is nothing to be ashamed of. I wear that towel for the sake of others, not myself. I will make an active effort to hide my body from the ones in this room until they tell me it is not needed. If I had intentions of being romantically inclined with anyone in this room, I would feel compelled to cover myself, but I have none."

 **As Nyter turned towards her, she provided a gasp.**

[Y] "Well, this is the first time I've seen you in your underwear like this. I like what I see."

[N] "Glad I could oblige to your perverted antics. Are you going to continue the peep show or are we done here?"

[Y] "Is that your way of asking me to leave? Pretty passive aggressive, even for you."

[N] "I don't care if you stay or go."

 **Nyter grabbed his leggings and began to put them on, minding the pieces of reinforced leather. The mesh was a rip-stop fabric, designed for breathability and comfort for long-term use. An insert of boiled black leather was placed on the shins and thighs, protecting the legs from damage. It was very stretchable, allowing Nyter to perform acrobatic feats and dextrous movement while also providing a standard defense to the most vulnerable parts of his legs. After the leggings were on, Nyter put on a black undershirt, then began piecing his leather cuirass across his chest. With everything complete, he motioned for Yang to leave, who obliged. He followed her out of the room, and, realizing everyone was inside, asked a crucial question.**

[N] "Does anyone have a hair clip I can use today? My bangs are getting in my face, I don't really like it and I don't have any more gel to comb it over."

[B] "You're serious?"

[N] "Yes, why wouldn't I be?"

[B] "I don't know many guys who wear a hair clip."

[N] "That's because they're too blinded by their imitated masculinity to realize their practicality."

[B] "If you say so. Here you go."

 **Blake handed over a long, black hairclip.**

[N] "Thanks, I'll give it back by the end of the day."

 **Nyter pushed back his bangs and sealed them with the hairclip. Blake responded with a raise of the brow, but did not speak.**

[N] "What? Does it look funny?"

[B] "It looks nice, actually. You can keep it."

[N] "I can keep it? You sure?"

[B] "I've got plenty, and that one looks good on you. Don't worry about it."

[N] "Thanks. I owe ya one."

 **Nyter turned on his heel and headed towards the door. As he opened it, he made an announcement.**

[N] "I'm going to go wash the dishes now. Be right back."

 **Fully ready for the day, Nyter headed towards the kitchen and began to wash the dishes. The mechanical part of his brain kicked in, causing him to lose track of time and perception. When Nyter snapped back into reality, he was already in Port's room, listening to the lecture at hand.**

[N] Whoa. I've gotta stop doing that. I'm going to end up doing something I'll regret.

[R] You don't even know how many funny stares you got for wearing that thing on your head.

[N] What, my hair clip? I think it looks fine.

[R] Your deep rooted insecurities are going to go ballistic, Nyter.

[N] I'm not insecure in the slightest. My physical presentation has nothing to do with how I view myself as an individual.

 **As Port finished up the lecture, he turned to Nyter and posed a question.**

[Po] "Nyter! It has been brought to my attention that you haven't finished your tale of glory from the first day of class! Would you like to finally relive the ending for your fellow peers? You left them on quite a cliffhanger!"

[N] "Hmmm… Alright, why not."

 **The class shifted in their seats, getting closer to the front of the room.**

[N] "Oh wow, I didn't know my audience was so captivated. Where did I leave off?"

[Sk] "You said that he punched you in the face as you turned around."

[N] "Right! Ah, remembering that moment is quite painful. Still can't believe I let my guard down like that. Anyway, he slugged me right in the jaw, dislocating it. Now, this might have been a blunder on my part, but I was prepared. As I hit the ground, I immediately grabbed my belt, ripping off a small spherical grenade. I shattered it on the ground, creating a cloud of smoke that instantly filled the room. Working quickly, I ran to the opposite side of the room while he threw chairs and tables to search for me. I then relocated my jaw by placing my fingers on the back of my molars and applying all my pressure downwards, locking it back into place. It hurt like hell, but it worked. Now that I was in perfect condition, I carefully used my hearing to locate the target. It was dark and cloudy in the room, but he definitely made himself noticeable. Now, you guys understand that I'm not the tallest guy in the room here. I was even shorter back then, like 5'5. This man was at least six and a half feet tall. Since I knew there was an entire foot between us, I couldn't try to choke him out. Still opting for a non-lethal approach, I chose to use a blunt object and smash him in the back of the head with it. His aura would protect him from the damage, but definitely not the shock of the blow. I grabbed a broken leg from a chair he threw across the bar and went to his general direction, hoping to catch him from behind. Sadly, as I approached his silhouette, it happened to be him facing me. He immediately charged for me, so I decided to sprint to the other side again. I was in real big trouble. Stealth is my number one ally, and I was losing it. Not to mention that the smoke was dispersing very quickly. Things were going downhill fast. I had no choice but to fight head on. Now, at this age, I wasn't the strongest individual. Any man could beat me in a feat of strength. I knew I was at a ridiculous disadvantage, but this was a matter of life and death. I had to do something. So I grabbed my weapons, which were conveniently concealed, and assumed a stance of defense. Two swords, the first weapon which I became proficient with. I know that some people may say, "Handling two swords is completely inconvenient and a complete hindrance." But, I had a small sword in the left hand for control, and a longsword in the right hand for attacks. It was perfectly viable. Anyway, I waited for him to come near me. I never saw a weapon on him, so I had hoped he was unarmed. It may have been wishful thinking, considering the fact that this ruthless bounty hunter wouldn't go into a hit without being prepared. I watched his large silhouette approaching me, wielding something in his hand. The smoke was almost gone at this point, and I had no place to hide. It was time to fight. Being aggressive was useless in this situation, so I had to be on the defensive. It appeared he had a large blunt weapon, perhaps a blackjack. He came in for a strike, but wasted his momentum, allowing me to counter his balance by slashing at his leg. The force of the impact was enough to send him crashing down. It was very strange to me that this apparent bounty hunter made such a rookie mistake, but it was to my favor, so I took it. As he tumbled to the ground, I made a move to strike his head with my boot, hopefully debilitating him. The man was like a tree; when I attacked his head, the impact had jarred my steel-toed boots. Nonetheless, he was out-cold. I had solved the problem without bloodshed. Once again, I thought to myself how strange the situation was. This man, a ruthless killer, who had taken on bounties and successfully hidden his tracks, made a rookie mistake while fighting and caused me to instantly win the duel. I had a pair of special handcuffs made special in case I was able to take the target alive, so I used them on his unconscious body. I then called my supervisors, and stayed with his limp figure until they arrived to take him away. He was hauled off to some jail, left to rot with the other degenerates of his kind. Kind of an anticlimactic end, but that's what went down."

 **Nyter resigned himself to his seat, followed by a short applause.**

[Po] "Wonderful storytelling, Nyter! A fitting end for such a voracious warrior!"

[N] "I think you're painting a more grandeur picture of me than I deserve. If that man had been as dangerous as I was told, I would have died. I only was able to defeat him through his mistakes. Stealth is my preferred method of combat, and that had failed. I was just lucky."

[Po] "Nonsense! You triumphed over your opponent while out of your element by using your wits and resolve! Not many of us could follow in those footsteps, my boy. I'll be looking forward to more stories of glory in the coming months!"

[N] "I'll let you know if I think of anything."

 **Port dismissed the class, but Nyter stayed in his seat for the rest of the duration while the next class filled in. Finding his current situation a bit boring and tedious, he willingly let himself slip into autopilot, sending his unconscious mind into the front performing his normal routine while his mind was somewhere else. The next conscious moment of Nyter's came at lunch, where he thrust himself back into reality to make sure Ruby was doing alright. As he grabbed his lunch and sat at his table, he noticed Ruby's eyes dropping, not partaking in the conversation. To be fair, the conversation at hand was frivolous to Nyter, so he wasn't paying attention either. He watched as she blankly consumed her food, making no clear facial expressions. Nora was to her right, with Blake to her left. Nyter took his tray up and walked to Blake, tapping her on the shoulder.**

[N] "Can we switch seats? I'd like to speak to her for a bit."

[B] "Ruby?"

[N] "Yeah."

[B] "Sure, no problem."

 **Blake exited her seat and moved to the other side of the table, allowing Nyter to sit left of Ruby. She appeared to not have noticed his presence. Nyter stole a piece of her food and placed it in his mouth, hoping to catch her attention. She lifted her head and turned to her left. Her eyes appeared completely blank, almost like she was unconscious. It appeared that she was staring** _ **through**_ **him, not at him. Nyter snapped in front of her face, trying to gain attention once more. After this also failed, he decided to lean his face closer to hers. It still appeared desolate and blank. Once Nyter was just a few inches away, he softly said her name.**

[N] "Ruby."

[Ru] "... Ah!"

 **After Nyter said her name, Ruby appeared startled, then flustered. She looked around for a few seconds before responding to him.**

[Ru] "Sorry, I was just spacing out."

[N] "You've been acting really strange today. I don't know if this is some sort of uncommon occurrence for you, so I'm a bit worried."

[Ru] "Just thinking about a lot is all."

[N] "What could be so interesting to think about that you completely lose your attention to your surroundings?"

[R] I could ask you the same question.

[N] Hey, I have a habit of doing it often, this is the first time I've seen it happen to her.

[Ru] "Just stuff, I'm alright."

[N] "If you say so."

 **Nyter shrugged as he ended his statement, taking his leave. He decided to continue the rest of the day, waiting until his favorite class, aura conditioning. As he walked into the class, Glynda called him over.**

[Gl] "Nyter, even though you aren't participating in the class due to your obvious gap in experience, why don't you ever carry your weapons? You may need them if I require your help in a mock exercise."

[N] "I prefer not to carry them, but I can begin if you'd like me to."

[Gl] "Excellent, would you please make sure they are materialized before class begins?"

 **Taken aback, Nyter hesitates before responding.**

[N] "You… You know about it?"

[Gl] "Of course, Ozpin has informed me of your abilities. They are quite astonishing. I know you're wary to show everyone else, so that's why I requested you make sure it happens _before_ class begins. There is a utility room over there, if you'd prefer to use that for privacy. I'm not entirely clear on how you do it, so there's an option if it takes time."

[N] "Uh, thanks. It doesn't take too long. At least, not for the weapons that I constantly summon. Like swords."

 **Nyter looked around the room to make sure no one else was inside. He then sat down and concentrated on his signature weapons, a small sword and a longsword. He then reached his hands into his aura and pulled them forward, grabbing the weapons. Opening his eyes, the blades were now in his hands.**

[Gl] "Impressive. Do they have sheathes?"

[N] "No. I suspend them with a short, open scabbard made of leather. That's what these are for."

 **Nyter motions to the small leather scabbards on his left and right side.**

[Gl] "I see. You are certainly prepared."

 **Sheathing his swords, Nyter retorted with,** "I try my best." **He then waited for the rest of the students. After a few minutes, the students entered the room, filling up the center.**

[Gl] "Hello, students. Today we will be staging a duel between two students. They will be assigned at random. I hope you are ready."

 **Glynda pulled out her scroll and projected a program which had a roster of all the students. She pressed a button, which began selecting two of the names by random. The chosen student was Jaune Arc, while the second student was Cardin Winchester.**

[N] Oh dear. This is going to be bad.

 **Jaune and Cardin each approach the stage, conflicting in stance. Jaune appears very timid and hesitant to begin, while Cardin walks very lax to his position. Nyter stood against the wall, acting as a referee.**

[Gl] "Alright, students. Remember: You are to completely stop fighting once your opponent is in the red stage of aura. Failure to do so will be punishable by an entire grade. Nyter and I will also step in if the duel gets out of hand. Ready? You may now begin."

 **As Glynda allowed the fight to begin, Cardin began to walk slowly towards Jaune. He raised his mace with one hand, striking a blow to Jaune, who blocked it. Jaune tried to deflect the blow, glancing it off of the side of his shield, but it merely wasted more of his stamina. Cardin let loose another hit, blocked once again by Jaune.**

[N] If he keeps blocking the hits like that, he'll run out of strength quickly. He's gotta stop that. You can't block every blow.

[R] Backseating, huh?

[N] I plan to let him know where to improve.

 **Already out of breath, Jaune tried to block another hit but was knocked off balance. Cardin immediately let loose another blow, which hit Jaune square in the chest. A considerable amount of aura dropped from the strike, also winding Jaune further. All of this occurred without Jaune making a single hit against his target.**

[N] I want to scream out to him, "Hit him, you dunce!" but that won't be any good.

 **Jaune quickly recovered from his injury, planting himself back on his feet. Cardin was in full force now, wielding his mace with two hands. Jaune once again tried to block the attack, but it was too powerful. Jaune's knees buckled at the sheer force, sending him prone on the ground. He scrambled to his feet, rolling to dodge the next strike. His aura was already getting low, as Cardin was able to hit Jaune a few more times without fear of reciprocation. Jaune appeared to have had enough of the abuse, as he decided to go in for a slashing attack. The attack missed, providing Cardin with a counter-attack, disarming Jaune's shield. Filled to the brim with anger and desperation, Jaune held his sword in both hands and went in for an overhead swing. Cardin blocked the attack with the hilt of his mace, causing both contestants to vie for the upper hand. They exchanged a few words during the struggle, yet Nyter was unable to make them out. Cardin smirked and launched his knee into Jaune's abdomen, debilitating him. Winded beyond repair, Jaune collapsed on the ground, aura already in the red.**

[N] Sigh… This isn't good.

[G] You have a habit of saying the word "sigh" rather than actually sighing.

[N] I noticed that too. It's because of _you_ that I do it as well.

[N] My bad. Oh god, Cardin is still going.

 **In a thirst for blood, Cardin raised his mace in the air, planning to smash it down on the crippled Jaune below. Nyter began to make a move towards the pair, readying his weapons.**

[N] "That's enough, Cardin!"

 **Cardin didn't appear to hear Nyter, or rather, chose to ignore him. As his mace struck down, Nyter moved with impressive quickness, diving in their direction to shield Jaune from the blow. His blade glanced off Cardin's mace, protecting Jaune. Cardin glared at Nyter, who was now on the ground, making sure Jaune was alright. Once he saw that Jaune was okay, he turned his body to Cardin and stood up. He immediately advanced toward Cardin, pointing the tip of his blade to the offender's neck.**

[N] "Do you not understand the rules, you heathen? Need I spell them out for you? When the aura hits red, you stop. Why did you keep going after your opponent was debilitated and weakened?"

 **Cardin shrugged, a smile creeping along his face.**

[C] "Guess I just forgot. Everyone makes mistakes."

 **Angered even further, Nyter threw his sword aside and grabbed the collar of Cardin's chest armor, pulling the hulking mass of a man down towards his face.**

[N] "I could strike you down right now for your reckless insubordination, you overgrown child. Don't you _ever_ violate the rules like that again. Remember: I'm a student here, not a staff member. I can do whatever I want to you whenever I want to. Get that smug look off your face and get off this stage."

 **Cardin scoffed with a smile, raising his hands and pulling away from Nyter's grasp.**

[C] "Whatever you say, kid."

 **Finally walking off the stage, he went to his team and laughed with them, pointing at Jaune, who was now sitting upright. Nyter glared in Cardin's direction, staying next to Jaune.**

[Gl] "Thank you for your intervention, Nyter. Mr. Arc, it's been weeks now. Please try to refer to your scroll during combat. Gauging your aura will help you decide when it is appropriate to attack."

[N] "And you! Why didn't you do anything?"

[Gl] "I knew you had the ability to defuse the situation. I would have stopped him if you didn't."

[N] "That's fairly reckless for an instructor. I can't believe this. I barely protected Jaune from that last attack."

[Gl] "Ah, but you did it nonetheless. Just as I had expected. Now, are there any questions from the students?"

 **Nyter's anger stewed in his mind, clouding his thoughts.**

[R] Man, I haven't seen you this mad in a _while_.

[G] Yes, your anger is unmatched today.

[N] I just can't stand people like him. I was fine with him being a jerk. I was fine with him insulting me. But I am not fine with him purposefully trying to injure a teammate, breaking the rules, and then acting nonchalant about it. I hate it.

[G] Well, it's best to just calm down. I don't want you lashing out in anger.

[N] I can control it, don't worry. Just got heated is all.

 **Nyter helped Jaune up from the ground and led him to his teammates. He then went back to his previous position, crossing his arms and his feet, leaning against the wall. Glynda went back to lecturing, teaching the students about proper guard control and aura management during battle.**

[G] She's been looking at you ever since you stepped in to save Jaune.

[N] What?

[G] Ruby. She has a definite look of admiration on her face. Looks like she likes what you just did.

[N] What the hell? Usually Rodger is the one saying something like that.

[G] I thought you might have wanted to know.

[N] For what reason?

[G] You're paying more attention to her now, aren't you?

[N] Am I?

[G] You're always wondering where she is, what she's doing, where she's looking, why she's doing what she's doing. Just thought I'd help you observe.

 **A little unsettled, Nyter didn't have a retort. He glanced over at Ruby, who was indeed looking at him. Her eyes were shining, and her mouth was curled in a slight smile.**

[N] How can you tell that's admiration?

[G] Facial recognition was part of my day job. Reading body language and emotions from expression of the face was an important part of telling when someone was being genuine, or if they were lying. That is definitely a look of admiration. Possibly adoration.

[N] Adoration…?

 **That was news to Nyter. No one had ever admired or adored him. He was loved by Summer, of course, but not admired. That was a new feeling. He felt almost uneasy, but excited in the same way. He had a lust for this same type of emotion, feeling admired by others for his actions.**

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[Ru] "So you're not gonna sleep in my bed anymore…?"

 **Ruby looked up at Nyter with glistening eyes, obviously saddened by the earlier implication this morning. They were in their room, discussing an important matter before bed. They were the only ones in the room, with the time being 22:00. The room was illuminated by Ruby's lamp, creating shadows of the beds across the walls.**

[N] "Ehhh… I don't want you to experience that kind of awkwardness or humility again."

[Ru] "I didn't feel humiliated! Or awkward! Well, maybe a little bit of awkward… But it was just a dream, right? You said yourself that sometimes we do stuff in our dreams that we wouldn't normally do."

[N] "I suppose I did say that."

[Ru] "Then…"

[N] "Do you _really_ want the chance to experience that again?"

[Ru] "It's not like that! It's just that I got comfortable with you sleeping next to me. I mean, not in like… Not in a weird way, but like a best friend kinda way!"

[N] "Best friend…?"

[Ru] "Well I mean, not trying to say you're like my best friend, but the feeling was the same, you know?"

[N] "You're really confusing me now…"

[Ru] "Look, I know what happened was weird, but I think that was a one-time thing. What are the chances we both have the same dream again?"

[N] "They might increase after more occurrences."

[Ru] "Well, if it happens again, then I'll know it's a dream and I can stop!"

[N] "I don't think it works like that. Unless you're a trained lucid dreamer, you're going to believe that it's real."

[Ru] "Well… If you really don't want to, then I won't force you."

[N] "I never said I didn't want to. You came up with that conclusion yourself. I was just saying that if I kept sleeping next to you, it might happen again. I used to never remember my dreams, but now I keep having them and you're appearing in them. There's something going on with my aura. At least, that's my guess. I couldn't explain it if I tried."

[Ru] "You're appearing in my dreams a lot, too."

[N] "As I thought."

[Ru] "But that's not really a bad thing. I don't see any harm in it."

[N] "I'll stay in your bed. For your sake. Besides, the floor is getting really drafty all of a sudden. I hate drafts with a passion. I can deal with cold temperatures, but not a constant breeze."

[Ru] "Yes! I mean, I don't wanna be too excited, cause you might think I'm weird… but I'm glad!"

[N] "I don't think you're weird. Actually, you are a bit weird. But I like that. Normal people can be boring. Weird people are the best."

[Ru] "So is that a compliment?"

[N] "You can take it how you want. I won't influence your interpretation."

[Ru] "Eugghh… I hate it when you're cryptic like that."

[N] "A man once told me that women love a mysterious man."

[R] My boy!

[Ru] "So does that mean you're trying to impress me?"

[N] "Yes."

[Ru] "Oh… Didn't expect you to be so honest."

[N] "A man once told me that women love blunt honesty. Quite contrasting, if you ask me. But I think I've found the perfect balance."

[Ru] "Mmmm… I'd say so. Also… what you did for Jaune… that was really cool."

[N] "What do you mean?"

[Ru] "I swear, you say that every single day."

[N] "My, Ruby Rose, whatever do you mean?"

[Ru] "Ugh. I mean, you really jumped in for him and defended him."

[N] "Cardin was out for blood. _Some_ one had to do something."

[Ru] "And you were that someone. That was really cool of you… I didn't expect you to be so compassionate."

[N] "Is that right?"

[Ru] "Well, I didn't mean it in a bad way, I just thought you were passive is all."

[N] "Trust me, I'm not passive when it counts. If I catch Cardin doing that same shit again, I'm going to take him down."

[Ru] "Whoa… That's the first time I've heard you say that…"

[N] "Sorry. I get angry like that sometimes. I can't stand someone who antagonizes their teammates, especially to the point of physical harm. We're _all_ teammates at this school, even if we're on a different team. That's my view on it."

[Ru] "That's very noble… I think I'm gonna go to bed now, not to be rude."

[N] "Ohoh, going to bed at 10:00? That's unheard of for you."

[Ru] "There's a test tomorrow and I don't want to cram. It hurts my brain too much. I think a restful sleep is going to be better than staying up studying."

[N] "Very good choice. That would be my course of action as well. Looks like you are learning after all."

 **Ruby closed her eyes and smiled at Nyter, who reciprocated. To quench his thirst, Nyter went to the door, hoping to get a drink from the fountain nearby. As he turned the knob, he heard a quick high-pitched shriek on the other side. He opened the door, turning to find the source of the noise.**

[W] "They were eavesdropping! I had no part in this."

[Y] "What?! You came to join us once we told you!"

[B] "Don't pin this all on us. I was just respecting his privacy."

[N] "So it seems our culprit is Yang. I'm guessing you were sitting at the other side of this door, listening to me and Ruby, then Blake came along. You explained the situation to her, and she sat to the side, not partaking in your nefarious schemes. Then Weiss strolled along, participating in the dropping of eaves. Am I correct?"

[B] "Pretty insightful. You would be correct."

[Y] "Sellouts! The both of you!"

 **Nyter let loose a hearty laugh, surprising the girls.**

[Y] "Whoa. Never heard you laugh like that before. That's weird."

[N] "Why does everyone think I'm some emotionless machine?"

[Y] "Are you telling me you're not?"

[N] "Oh shut up and get inside. Your sister is going to bed early, so be sure to keep it down."

[Y] "Oh, so now _you're_ worried about her?"

[N] "Just being courteous."

 **Yang glared at him, but remained wordless and traveled in the room.**

[N] "Don't give me that look. You were eavesdropping on me. You're the heathen here."

[Y] "I'm just making sure you don't pull any moves on my underaged sister!"

[N] "I'm also underaged. I'm only sixteen."

[Y] "Still! I have to make sure she's not being manipulated by some creep."

[N] "Says the girl who walked in on me naked, then kept watching. Who's the _real_ creep?"

 **Everyone else in the room grew quiet, glancing at Yang.**

[Y] "I- I didn't mean to! It was an accident!"

[N] "Then why did you stay for the rest of the show?"

[Y] "You said you didn't care!"

[N] "So that makes you less of a creep?"

[Y] "Ugh! Whatever!"

[Ru] "You saw him… Naked?"

 **Ruby's cheeks were blood-red, and her voice was light and innocent.**

[Y] "It was a few seconds! I only saw his butt anyway. Nothing worth seeing."

[N] "That's not what you told me. Either way, I'm thirsty, be right back."

 **Nyter left the room, closing the door behind him with a blushing Yang. He made his way next to the bathrooms where a water fountain was stationed.**

[R] You're definitely getting more intimate with your mates, aren't you?

[N] I guess. It's not intentional. I tend to grow close to people who I'm used to. It happened with Summer, Qrow, Ozpin, and especially Ironwood.

[R] What about Taiyang?

[N] Tai… Tai still has some resentment. I can tell. He still probably blames me for Summer's death. I don't blame him at all. I prefer to give him his space when I'm around.

[G] I don't think he still blames you, Nyter. You had no choice in the matter.

[N] Either way… I feel something whenever I see him. I feel evil. Like I took the most precious thing away from him. I may be able to forgive myself for Summer's death, but I can't forgive myself for taking away Tai's love.

[G] I can understand that. Perhaps you two need to talk about it. After all these years, some things can fester into monsters. Especially emotions.

[N] I was planning on saying something, but… It's hard to face it. I mean, I just recently remembered, and chose to keep it rather than forget it. I wonder if he thinks I still don't remember. Maybe I will talk to him. We'll see what the future holds.

 **As he approached the fountain, Nyter bent down to take a drink. After a few gulps, he was satiated, and returned to the dorm room. He knocked on the door, waiting for a response. Weiss opened the door, staring at him blankly.**

[N] "Can we talk?"

 **She appeared genuinely surprised, being used to Nyter's usual line of "Hey there. Can I come in?"**

[W] "What do you want to talk about?"

 **Nyter took her hand, leading her out into the hallway and closing the door. Weiss was a bit shocked by his move but did nothing aside from blush. She glanced at the side, avoiding Nyter's gaze.**

[N] "Man, you all blush too much. Anyway, Weiss, I want to ask you something."

[W] "You don't need permission to ask anything…"

[N] "Are you alright?"

[W] "What?"

 **Nyter placed his hand on Weiss's chin, gently moving her face towards his, making eye contact. She let out a small gasp but did not resist his touch. Nyter spoke softly to her, making his words count.**

[N] "Look at me in the eyes, please. Weiss, are you okay? I don't think you're okay. You've been acting very passive recently, and I've noticed a severe lack of emotion from you. What's going on? You can tell me. I'm your teammate."

[W] "Nyter…"

[N] "Yeah?"

[W] "Why?"

[N] "Why what?"

[W] "Why do you care so much?"

[N] "I consider you a really close friend of mine. I want to know what's bothering you, if anything."

 **Weiss looked away, removing her head from Nyter's grasp.**

[W] "... I'm fine."

[N] "Weiss…"

[W] "I said I'm fine, okay?"

 **Her voice shook as it raised, hinting at a tone of anger. Nyter decided to not press on the subject any longer.**

[N] "Alright, I'm sorry. If anything is ever bothering you, you can open up to me. I'll listen with open ears."

[W] "... I'll keep that in mind."

 **Weiss walked away from Nyter, holding the door open to their room.**

[W] "You coming?"

[N] "In a bit. Don't worry, I'll actually open it myself when I come back."

 **Weiss exhaled quickly, expressing a small amount of amusement to his statement.**

[G] Just where are you headed?

[N] Late night jog.

[R] Isn't Ruby waiting for you in the bed or something?

[N] Eh, she won't miss me. I'll be back before long.

 **Thus, Nyter traveled outside, feeling the cool breeze against his skin. The cool night air rejuvenated him, sending a flurry of positive emotions. He was filled to the brim with content. As he jogged through the night, circling the campus grounds, he thought of how to improve his relationships with his team. He wanted to become closer, he thirsted for companionship. He wanted allies, friends, and even sisters. He began to contemplate as he ran and ran, losing track of the time in the serene darkness.**


	9. Chapter 9

I woke up really late today, so this chapter is coming out a bit later than usual, sorry about that. Good thing is, it's finished on time! Chapter 10 definitely won't be here by next week unless I strike a creative miracle, so the bi-weekly schedule will probably start today. This chapter ended up being almost the exact same amount of words as chapter 8, which pleased me a bit. Enjoy!

 **Google Doc: nyterngr9**

* * *

 **Sitting at his lunch table, Nyter watched as Jaune made his way to sit by Team JNPR. Cardin appeared next to his side, scaring him and almost causing the tray in his hands to drop. Thankfully, Jaune had prevented the spilling of his precious lunch. Cardin released a hearty laugh, obviously satisfied with the outcome.**

[N] I really hate that kid. I wish he knew what he was doing.

[R] He's probably one of those guys who hates himself inside and projects that onto others. His self-loathing is so extreme that the only coping method he has is projection.

[N] I'm impressed. How insightful.

[R] I'm not _completely_ clueless.

[N] Noted.

 **Pyrrha looked sympathetically at Jaune. He sat at the table, slowly picking at his food as Nora recalled a dream she had the other night.**

[Re] "She's been having this recurring dream for nearly a month now."

[P] "Jaune… Are you okay?"

[J] "Huh? Oh, yeah. Why?"

[Ru] "It's just that… you seem a little… _not_ okay."

[N] "She sure does have a way with words."

 **Ruby and Pyrrha looked at Nyter quizzically.**

[N] "Oh, did I say that out loud? Whoops. Either way, they're right. You're looking a bit rough."

[J] "Guys, I'm fine! Seriously, look!"

 **Jaune gave a highly unconvincing thumbs up. Cardin began tormenting another classmate, jeering and chuckling at her. Pyrrha expressed to Jaune that Cardin has been picking on him since day one, but Nyter tuned them out. He instead focused on Cardin's new victim. She was a faunus, characterized by her large rabbit ears. Long brown hair flowed across the front and back of her uniform. Nyter had seen the classmate a few times before, but she was quite shy and disinclined to take place in the class discussion. Returning to the conversation, he overheard Pyrrha giving support.**

[P] "Jaune, you know if you ever need help, you can just ask."

 **Nora gains an idea, hopping up from the table's seat and slamming her fist in her palm.**

[No] "Oh- Oh! We'll break his legs!"

[N] My god, that smile of hers as she says such an aggressive statement…

[R] If there's one piece of truth I'll ever say, it's that women are _scary_.

[N] "Not a bad idea, Nora. I'm in support."

[No] "That's two! Who else?!"

[J] "Guys, really, it's fine! Besides, he's not just a jerk to me, he's a jerk to everyone."

[N] "So that makes it okay?"

 **Nyter's question went unanswered as he heard the cry of Cardin's victim. Cardin was pulling on her protruding bunny ears.**

[?] "Ow, that hurts!"

[R] Whoa whoa _whoa,_ that accent. Okay boys, new target. I thought I was the only one with an accent in this school.

[N] Shut up. Really. This isn't a joking matter. He's _physically_ harming her. What does he gain from this?

[?] "Please, stop…"

 **Nyter's anger began to stew inside of him, while his serious attitude began to manifest itself. During this attitude change, his voice changes to a lower tone, as his typical voice is usually only in place during friendly or unprofessional interactions. Cardin continued to torture the student, mocking her ears.**

[C] "See? I told you they were real!"

 **Cardin's posse joined in on the bullying, calling the student a freak. Nyter decided to hold in his anger, for fear of causing a scene and doing something he would regret. Cardin eventually let go of her ears, allowing her to briskly walk away from the scene, covering her face. Nyter found it difficult to restrain himself.**

[P] "Atrocious. I can't stand people like him."

[N] "Then why don't you do something about it?"

 **Taken aback, Pyrrha was confused by his question. A few others, including Ruby, glanced towards him, noticing his sudden change in vocal tone. He had never stated something so aggressively, especially to his friend group.**

[P] "What do you mean, Nyter? What can we do?"

[N] "Oh, I'll show you what we can do."

[G] Nyter…

[R] Here we go! What's he gonna do?! Is this a rumble match?!

[G] Don't encourage him. Nyter, calm down.

 **Without responding to Galer, Nyter raised himself from his seat and walked to Cardin's table. He grabbed Cardin's collar like before and brought his face close enough to feel the breath emanating from his large nostrils. Teams RWBY and JNPR watched as Nyter addressed the offender through gritted teeth.**

[N] "Were you just physically assaulting a student, Cardin Winchester?"

[C] "I don't know what you're talking about. Do you guys know what he's talking about?"

 **Cardin's posse shook their heads, playing his game.**

[N] "So you're telling me you didn't pull on that girl's ears and cause her harm?"

[C] "Of course not! What would make you say that?"

[?] "Nyter, it's okay, just let it go."

 **Letting go of Cardin and looking to his side, Nyter noticed the student addressing him. It was the same girl who Cardin was bullying.**

[N] "No, Velvet. It's not okay. He hurt you, physically. That doesn't fly in my book. Let me handle this."

 **Turning back to Cardin, Nyter breathed a sigh and narrowed his eyes at the target.**

[N] "You like hurting people, huh? Does it get you off, Cardin? Does it make you feel _powerful?_ Is that what it is? Well, allow me to help you with that. Go ahead, punch me. Hurt me, Cardin. I want you to feel as powerful as you want. Just hit me. Cause me pain."

 **Cardin looked uneasy, and he couldn't think of a response. His cracked lips opened to retort, but Nyter cut him off.**

[N] "What's wrong? Don't you like hurting people? What's the difference between them and me? Is it because you know I could kick your ass if you even _tried_ to lay a hand on me?"

 **With his pride hurt, Cardin stood up, towering over Nyter.**

[C] "You don't know what you're talking about, kid. You should probably shut up right about now."

[N] "Oh, did I strike a nerve? Did little Cardin take a blow to his ego? What are you gonna do about it?"

 **Cardin's team looked up at him, unsure of what to do. The entire cafeteria was silent, watching the pair's next move. He was put on the spot. Finally, Cardin decided to make a move by raising his fist. Nyter smiled brighter than anyone had ever seen, causing Cardin to hesitate.**

[G] Nyter! Stop this madness!

[R] I didn't expect you to go this far. I think you should back down.

 **Nyter had already tuned out Galer and Rodger even before this encounter began. His smile grew even more, turning into a contorted, grim grin. Nyter could see the fear rising in Cardin's face, mixing with anger. This pleased him even more, turning his grin into a maniacal laugh.**

[N] "Yes, Cardin! Hit me! Hurt me, just like your other classmates!"

[R] Uh… Nyter? You're being _really_ creepy right now.

[G] He's going insane. That's the only conclusion. He already tuned us out.

[R] Should we step in?

[G] It wouldn't do much use. Nyter can't cause too much damage on his own, can he?

[R] I dunno, Galer. He's gotten destructive before.

 **Before Cardin's fist could connect with Nyter's face, a voice was heard resonating through the quiet cafeteria.**

[Gl] "It appears we have a conflict of interests here. Tell me, students, what's going on here?"

 **Nyter's laughter stopped, replaced by a scowl. Turning to Glynda, he regained his composure and spoke, still in his lower tone of voice.**

[N] "Well, Cardin here was antagonizing a teammate. I came to put a stop to it. It appears he wants to play dumb and defensive, so I interrogated him. He won't listen to anything I've tried to say to him."

[Gl] "Is this correct, Cardin?"

 **Instead of backing himself up, he responded with an aggressive** _ **tsk!**_

[Gl] "Did I see you about to swing at Nyter? Or was that just my imagination?"

[C] "He started it! He told me to!"

[Gl] "Oh? It's a duel you want, is it Nyter? Why don't we organize this in a more official setting, then? I'm sure the spectators of this classroom would be able to view the spectacle better in an arena setting?"

[N] "That sounds fantastic. I hope you're able to fight without a weapon, Cardin."

[Gl] "Nyter, I can provide special accommodations quickly for your… predicament."

[N] "No need, Professor. Cardin may use his weapon as he pleases. I don't need my swords."

[Gl] "If you're positive you are able to fight as-is, then follow me to the arena. Spectators who wish to view the duel may come. There's still 40 minutes before the next period."

 **Nyter briskly walked behind Glynda, following her out of the lunchroom, through the winding halls and onto the arena floor. Cardin followed hesitantly behind, while just behind him followed the spectators.**

[R] Nyter, you're blowing this out of proportion… And I don't say that lightly.

[G] Are you sure you want to do this?

[N] How am I blowing this out of proportion? I'm letting this child know that he is being uncooperative. He deserves what's coming to him.

[R] Well, I support you then.

[G] Just don't kill him.

[N] No promises.

 **Galer was unable to tell if Nyter was joking. The statement made him very uneasy. Glynda led the students over to the arena, allowing Nyter and Cardin to step up on the stage.**

[Gl] "Normal dueling rules still apply. If you do not stop the duel when your opponent's aura turns red, you are to be disqualified."

 **Cardin readied his mace, putting on a face of confidence. Nyter appeared stone-faced, not allowing any of his emotions to show during the duel. It was rare for Nyter to show such an air of seriousness, causing shock in Rodger.**

[R] I'm kinda worried about you… This hasn't happened before. You've _never_ been this angry. What's going on?

[N] If Cardin is bold enough to harass Velvet and Jaune, _publicly_ , and they try to blow it off like it's nothing, then the same thing could happen to Ruby. It's time to prevent the problem before it happens.

[R] I see… Don't go too overboard.

[G] I've never seen you this concerning.

[R] I'm afraid for his mental state.

[G] It does seem unstable at the moment.

[N] I'm fine. Don't worry about me.

[G] I think your emotions are going haywire, Nyter. You're feeling things you haven't felt before and you don't know how to deal with it, so they're amplifying tenfold.

[N] You're looking into it too much. I'm just trying to stop Cardin from harassing any more students.

[G] But was this the right course of action, Nyter?

[N] So you're doubting me?

[G] Yes. You're not flawless.

[N] Well, it's too late now. The duel is about to begin.

[Gl] "Students, are we ready to begin?"

[N] "Yes."

[C] "Yep."

 **Nyter surveyed his audience. This was the first time since confronting Cardin that he had been aware of other people around him. There were tons of students around the arena, appearing both anxious and excited. He spotted Ruby in one of the front rows, appearing concerned. Pyrrha also had a look of concern, while Blake and Yang appeared approving of the situation.**

[Gl] "Alright, you may begin."

 **Cardin waited for Nyter to make the first move. Nyter, realizing what Cardin was doing, decided to oblige. He opened his left chest pocket and reached inside, grasping two pieces of cold metal.**

[R] Don't forget the gloves!

[N] Right.

 **Following Rodger's instructions, Nyter reached into his left cargo pocket and donned a pair of black gloves to protect his hands. He then reached into his pocket once more, ready to grab its contents. Cardin raised a brow, unsure of what Nyter was pulling out. Nyter delayed the suspense for just a few more seconds before finally taking out what lied in his pocket. Two golden brass knuckles appeared in his hands. The tips were crafted with gold Dust, while the body was made of strengthened steel. Nyter equipped the knuckles and assumed a stance, bending his knees and placing one hand in front of the other. Instead of curling his fists, he left them open, allowing himself to counter if Cardin made the first move. Cardin began to approach, prompting Nyter to close his fists and spark the tips of the knuckles together, causing them to generate electricity across the metal.**

[R] It's so satisfying, isn't it?

[N] It is indeed a wonderful set of weapons. A perfect non-lethal approach to this situation.

[R] It's like a fist taser!

 **Cardin hesitated in his approach, wary of Nyter's weapons. Nyter began to circle his target, slowly moving counter-clockwise across the arena. He was watching Cardin's every move, taking note of each inch his opponent took to face him. Cardin's mace was resting across his shoulder, held in his right hand. Nyter knew that if he were hit even just once off-guard from that mace, it could probably break his bones. Cardin may not be the most intelligent opponent, but he was indeed a strong one. Nyter took caution in each step, making sure to stay wary of his target's movements. Eventually, he realized that Cardin wasn't going to make the first move, so he switched his stance into a more offensive position. He clenched his fists in front of his chest and placed his left leg in front of the right, moving slowly towards Cardin. Cardin grew impatient and decided to move quickly towards Nyter. Watching the beginning of Cardin's strike, Nyter saw him moving in a horizontal sweep. He rolled away from the swing, waiting for an overhead strike. Nyter moved to a position to where the arena wall was to his left while the audience was to his right. He completely froze, bending lower to the ground. Cardin took the bait, sprinting towards Nyter once again. His hand brought the mace above his head, bringing it down towards the target below.**

[N] Alright, here we go!

 **Nyter enforced his right hand with strength from his aura and began to strike with a haymaker. The hit connected with Cardin's mace mid-swing, prompting him to let go due to the electricity coursing through the conductive metal. The weapon flew through the air from the force of Nyter's counter, smashing against the wall to their left. Cardin looked panicked but tried to appear tough nonetheless. Nyter allowed him no such reprieve as another fist connected to Cardin's torso with lightning speed. He smiled as Cardin's face contorted into a grimace, spitting droplets of saliva onto his face. A final strike followed, connecting with Cardin's left kidney. Nyter backed off, darting backward to allow his opponent some breath. Looking at the aura projections, Cardin appeared to be at 50%.**

[R] Geez, already half-way? Since when were you so strong? What happened to being a little weakling that just sleuthed around?

[N] Take a look at my aura as well.

 **Nyter's aura was dropped down to 75%, even though he didn't suffer an attack.**

[N] Even just empowering my strength with aura drains it. It's risk-reward. There's no way for me to win a fight without draining my own aura even a little bit.

[G] No. That's not it.

[N] What?

[G] Something else is happening. Nyter, there's no way you can deal that much damage in just two hits, at least with just the knuckles. Sure, the electricity helps, but it shouldn't decrease his aura that much. Yes, you also gave yourself a little bit more strength from your aura, but knocking him down half-way from just two hits to his abdomen while he's wearing steel plate armor? No. Something is up, and I think it has to do with how you were acting.

[N] We'll talk about this later. Cardin's not gonna be winded for much longer. I have to focus.

 **Cardin wiped the drool from his mouth and stopped his heaving, resting on one knee. He stared at Nyter, who was fifteen feet away, yet was no longer in an offensive pose. Instead, his body was lax, with crossed arms and leaning his weight on his left foot. Cardin glanced at his mace, which lied fifteen feet away to his right.**

[N] "Looks like you've got quite the choice to make. Charge me and attack with nothing but your fists, or make a run for your weapon at the risk of me attacking you while your back is turned. What'll it be?"

 **Cardin clicked his tongue in annoyance, producing a loud** _ **tsk!**_ **Nyter chuckled in response.**

[N] "Actually, you've got a third option."

[C] "Oh yeah? And what's that?"

 **Nyter began to walk towards Cardin, placing his hands in his pockets, the same smile creeping across his face as before.**

[N] "Forfeit. If you forfeit right now, I won't continue. It'll be granted as a standard loss. No shame in that, right?"

 **Standing over a crouched Cardin, Nyter looked down. From Cardin's vision, Nyter's face was obscured by the lights on the ceiling, but his teeth were gleaming through the shadow of his obscured appearance. He was a creepy figure, certainly playing the role of predator in this scenario, playing with his food. Cardin couldn't afford another hit to his pride.**

[C] "I don't think so, kid!"

 **Through Cardin's anger and damaged ego, he jolted upright and propelled his right hand forward for an uppercut, aimed at Nyter's face. With hands still in his pockets, he simply leaned his torso backward, expecting the blow. Nyter certainly didn't expect Cardin's next attack aimed his legs. With his left leg, Cardin swept behind Nyter's legs, attempting to drop him to the ground. Because Nyter was already off-balance from leaning backward, the attempt was successful, and Nyter fell onto his back. Immediately compensating for the lost momentum, Nyter used the force of his fall to propel his body sideways, dodging Cardin's fist. Another quick attack followed, slamming into Nyter's side as he attempted to get up from his position. The attack winded Nyter but allowed an opening to roll forward and separate some distance between the two fighters. With heavy breathing, Nyter looked over at Cardin, holding another wide grin.**

[N] "That was good… You're strong, but not fast. I'd say your best bet is to grab that mace over there. Go ahead, make a run for it. I like my prey when they're running."

[R] Geez…

 **Galer felt concerned but did nothing to prevent Nyter from planning his next move. Cardin stood up, facing Nyter, who stood only a few feet away from him. As soon as Cardin turned around to sprint for his weapon, Nyter dashed forward and tripped his legs. He began to fall, but Nyter rushed with quickness and increased the velocity of his drop by attacking in the center of his back. Choosing to course more electricity through his target, Nyter let loose a barrage of attacks across Cardin's back, further debilitating him. Nyter stepped back a few feet and took a look at Cardin's aura, which was now in the red.**

[Gl] "It appears our winner is Nyter. Congratulations. You may return to your duties, students."

 **A few students clapped their hands at the spectacle as the rest of them cheered. Several students stayed in the audience, waiting for Nyter to walk off the stage. Instead of leaving, Nyter walked in front of Cardin, who was on the floor and heaving. Nyter bent down and leaned his face very close to Cardin's ear, whispering a few words with soft viciousness.**

[N] "I want you to listen to me, and listen good. If I _ever_ catch you harming another student again, I will not wait for an instructor to arrive. I will take you down on the spot. Consider this your first and final warning. I will not tolerate _any_ of your nonsense, Cardin Winchester. Now get up and wipe your pathetic saliva off the ground, you insolent chimp."

 **Feeling pleased with himself, Nyter walked off stage, greeting the students who wished to meet with him. As Nyter was conversing with the students, Galer and Rodger spoke to each other.**

[R] I think something is… wrong.

[G] Definitely. The question is, what is it? I can't even use my semblance correctly… It's like something is pushing me out. I can't tell what he's feeling, either. It may be pure-bred insanity.

[R] That does make sense, considering what he's been through. And the fact that two people are inside of him. We could be messing up his psyche.

[G] No, I don't think that's it… In fact, I think we're the ones keeping him sane. Who knows how crazy he was before we gave him company. But it appears that we're not enough anymore. Something is crawling out of him, a darkness of sorts. I've been trying to look around for it, but at every turn, it just disappears. Whatever it is, it doesn't want to be found.

[R] Man, that's creepy. Let's hope he's just having an off day.

[G] Yeah, let's hope.

 **As Nyter finished talking with the students about his victory, Velvet began to approach him.**

[R] Yesss, we get to hear more of that accent!

[V] "Nyter… that really wasn't necessary of you. You put yourself in danger. I was okay, Cardin's just a jerk, you didn't need to do all of this."

[N] "I'm not one to sit idly by while someone torments a person right in front of my eyes. Listen, if Cardin gives you any more trouble, don't hesitate to tell me, okay? You can tell me in private and I can handle the situation with much less… drama."

[V] "I don't want to stir up any more trouble between you and Cardin…"

[N] "Velvet… You won't be a bother. Just tell me if he does anything else, and it'll be completely anonymous. It's better to tell me than to just take it and brush it off, alright? I promise I'm only here to help. You're strong for ignoring it, but I can't have this continue. If he does it to you, he might do it to someone else."

[V] "Alright… I'll let you know if he causes any more trouble."

[N] "Thanks."

[V] "No, thank _you,_ Nyter. You really came to my defense."

[N] "Just couldn't help myself, I guess. I'm gonna head to Oobleck's now. Stay safe. Let me know if anything else happens."

 **With a nod, Velvet headed to her next class as Nyter made his way to Oobleck's classroom.**

[N] You know, I heard you guys the whole time.

[R] What are you talking about, my dear Nyter?

[N] About me turning insane.

[R] I don't know what you're talking about, dear boy.

[N] You were talking to Galer about something being wrong with me. Galer was talking about some sort of darkness. I heard it all.

[R]We've been found out!

[G] Nyter…

[N] You're right, Galer.

[G] What?

[N] Something is inside of me. I've been aware of it for longer than I can remember. It's a clutching darkness, just like you said. It has been calling to me for quite a bit. There are times when I feel like I'm just losing control, like during that fight, most likely even before it started. Sometimes, right before I wake up, the darkness is right there in front of me, trying to welcome me inside its permeating blackness. I always manage to fight it off, but… I can tell it's getting stronger. Guys, I don't know what's wrong with me.

[G] Why haven't you told us about it?

[N] It's hard to admit to someone that you think you're going insane. I didn't want you two to know. Now it's getting to the point where I can't even hide it. I don't know what's going to happen when the darkness takes me.

[G] When? You mean if.

[N] No, Galer… It's getting so much stronger. Its influence and power over me… I can't escape it forever. I'm afraid I can't fight it much longer.

[G] So you're giving up?

[N] If I was giving up, I wouldn't have kept fighting. I'm saying that I know I won't be able to keep it up. I have a strong feeling that I'm going to lose it.

[G] Lose what?

[N] My sanity.

 **Nyter and Galer's conversation was cut short as he entered Oobleck's room, unusually one of the last to arrive.**

[Oo] "A bit later than usual, Nyter. Some unexpected event kept you at bay?"

[N] "You could say that. What's the lesson for today?"

[Oo] "Today we will be talking about Menagerie. I remember you telling me last week that you actually went there, so I'd love some of your anecdotes during the lecture! That is, if you're willing to share. Not to pressure you."

[N] "Sure thing."

[Oo] "Great! Without further ado, let us introduce the students on the history of faunus before we begin."

 **In typical Oobleck fashion, he quickly begins to explain the events of the Faunus Rights Revolution, or the Faunus War. The war arose due to the conflict of interest between humans and faunus; humans were attempting to subjugate the faunus to a small continent off the coast of Anima, named Menagerie. The faunus struggled to remain a free people, and decided to fight back against the humans. Eventually, the war was won, and the faunus were allowed to live amongst humans. While many faunus live with humans in the four kingdoms, there is still a large population of faunus on Menagerie.**

[Oo] "Now, has anyone actually been to Menagerie?"

 **Nyter raised his hand behind Oobleck, while the other students kept their hands below their desks.**

[Oo] "I see. Nyter appears to be the only one who has been to Menagerie personally. Was there anything of interest that you've seen?"

[N] "The wildlife was certainly dangerous. I know the western portion of Menagerie wasn't supposed to be inhabited, but I traveled there anyway. It's definitely no exaggeration when they say how dangerous the creatures that reside there are. As for the main towns and villages, as stated, it was an all-faunus populated region. I didn't see a single human. In fact, I was constantly questioned by those around me as to where my animal traits were. When I explained I was a human, they appeared shocked, as if humans never set foot on Menagerie. Thankfully I never felt as though I didn't belong; most of the residents were very welcoming and hospitable when they found out a human was in Menagerie. I was even offered an extended stay by one of the families I met."

[Oo] "Excellent! Thank you for sharing. Yes, as stated, prior to the Faunus Rights Revolution, humankind was quite, quite adamant about centralizing faunus population in menagerie."

 **Oobleck stopped for a moment to take a sip of the substance in his mug. Nyter surveyed the classroom to view the attentiveness today. Jaune appeared to be snoozing at his desk, but the rest of the class appeared to be paying attention, aside from Cardin, who was fixated on Jaune's sleeping figure. Nyter was wary, but figured Cardin had already learned his lesson.**

[Oo] "While this may feel like ancient history to many of you, it is imperative to remember that these are relatively recent events! Why, the repercussions of the uprising can still be seen to this day!"

 **Once again, Ooblecks stops to sip from his mug. It appeared to be fueling his blazing fast speed, as he was traveling to and fro from the desks.**

[Oo] "Now, have any among you been subjugated or discriminated because of your Faunus heritage?"

 **A few Faunus near the back of the classroom raised their hands, prompting Velvet to raise hers very timidly, her brown ears wilting towards her face.**

[Oo] "Dreadful, simply dreadful! Remember students, it is precisely this kind of ignorance that breeds violence."

 **Oobleck pauses once more to sip from his mug. He speeds from one end of the classroom to the next in the blink of an eye.**

[Oo] "I mean—I mean—I mean just look at what happened to the White Fang!"

[N] This guy has _got_ to be drinking some _strong_ stuff. Probably alcohol.

[G] Not even alcohol makes you do that.

[N] How would you know? You never drank.

 **Galer remained silent, a wave of unease settling within him.**

[N] Anyway, he's all over the place. Even his words are getting jumbled, even for _him._

[R] I dunno, mate. The bloke's probably just putting on a show to entertain his audience.

[N] Whoa, you're actually using phrases from your dialect. That's weird. Also, he's a teacher, not an actor, why call his students an "audience"?

[R] What better way to captivate your students into a lesson than making them believe they're watching a show?

[N] I suppose that makes sense.

 **Nyter noticed Weiss stating something, the context not understood by Nyter.**

[W] "The battle at Fort Castle."

[N] Fort Castle. How gleefully redundant.

 **As the professor continued to ask questions to the class, Cardin appeared to be taking aim at Jaune's head with a paper-made football. The shot didn't appear to be particularly difficult, as Jaune was seated in the row directly in front of Cardin. He prepared the small paper ammunition and flicked it, successfully pinning a sleeping Jaune in the back of the head, stirring him awake.**

[J] "Hey!"

 **The small disruption set Oobleck off, immediately sending him flying towards Jaune's direction in front of his desk.**

[Oo] "Mr. Arc! Finally contributing to class, this is excellent—excellent! What is the answer?!"

[N] Not even I know what he asked. Jaune's in trouble now.

 **Jaune lifted his hands from the desk and placed them in his lap, drawing out his response.**

[J] "Uhh, the an-swer… The advantage… o-f the Faun-us… had, over that guy's stuff…"

 **Looking to his right, he eyed Pyrrha making gestures with her hands, cupping the air in front of her eyes and turning them. She was signaling a hint to the answer. Jaune tried his best to guess the charade, opting for a more literal interpretation.**

[J] "U-uh… Binoculars!"

 **The resounding confidence of his answer was matched only by his stance, holding his arm high in the air, bent at the elbow, eyes shut. The class quickly began to laugh, chuckling at his ignorance. Unamused, Oobleck sipped stonily from his mug for a final time. Pyrrha gave a defeated sigh and dropped her shoulders, allowing her bright red hair to fall just over her back as she held her face with her hand. Cardin was very pleased by the answer given, heartily laughing with his high-pitched exhales and smacking the desk with his large hands. His face did not betray his humor, as it was contorted into a gleaming smile and his eyes were shutting after each segmented laugh. Oobleck quickly returned to the front of the map, beside his desk.**

[Oo] "Very funny,— Mr. Arc. Cardin! Perhaps you would care to share your thoughts on the subject."

 **Unmoved, Cardin continued his unprofessional pose, with his feet laxed on the desk in front of him, leaning back in the chair.**

[C] "Well, I know it's a lot easier to train an animal than a soldier."

 **His answer was not taken lightly by Pyrrha, who immediately retorted.**

[P] "You're not the most open-minded of individuals, are you, Cardin?"

 **She turned to meet his gaze with narrowed eyes and fists clenched.**

[C] "What? You got a problem?"

[P] "No. I have the answer. It's night vision. Many faunus are known to have nearly-perfect sight in the dark."

 **With a resignated growl, Cardin's hands slumped to the side of his wide frame, fingers clenched to the fabric on his dark uniform pants. Blake joined the discussion with enthusiasm, proving her knowledge on the subject matter.**

[B] "General Lagune was inexperienced and made the mistake of trying to ambush Faunus in their sleep. His massive army was outmatched, and the General was captured."

[N] "What a _stupid_ mistake. Seriously, even with your lack of knowledge of Faunus biology, why would you try to ambush _Faunus_ in the dark? How dumb can you be? Faunus! Humans who carry animal characteristics! Obviously they're going to fight better in the dark than some hobo army who can't see six inches in dim light."

[R] Oh dear.

[N] What?

[R] You just said that out loud. Fairly loudly.

[N] Oh god.

 **Looking around, the students appeared to be fixated on Nyter, waiting for anything else he had to say. Their eyes pierced him, causing him to explain himself.**

[N] "My bad. Didn't mean to hijack the discussion. Strategy is one of my passions, and I couldn't keep my mouth shut, I suppose. Please, carry on."

[B] "Well, Nyter, perhaps if he'd paid attention in class, he wouldn't have been remembered as _such_ a failure."

 **Blake peered at Cardin with her glowing yellow eyes as she finished her mocking observation, smirking at his displeasure.**

[R] HOOOOLY MOTHER OF GOD! What a roast! I can feel the burn!

 **The entire class began to burst into laughter, while Cardin's hurt pride showed as he stood up aggressively from his seat, fists clenched.**

[Oo] "Mr. Winchester, please take your seat."

 **Jaune began to snicker softly to himself, gathering attention from Oobleck as well. Oobleck rushed in front of Jaune's desk, issuing a punishment to the both of them.**

[Oo] "You _and_ Mr. Arc can both see me after class for additional readings."

 **Jaune slumped his shoulders, letting loose a low groan. Nyter opted out of the rest of the discussion, not wanting his passion to be manifested during class. He waited for the dismissal from Oobleck and began to walk out of the classroom once it was given the clear. Walking with team JNPR, Pyrrha voiced that she was going to wait for Jaune. Nyter nodded, while Nora and Ren continued walking towards their next class. Deciding it was best to give Jaune a break, he reentered the room where Oobleck was telling off both Jaune and Cardin. He spoke of their struggling grades since the beginning of the semester, causing them both to flinch at their own inadequacy in the subject. The lecture given to them was stern and concise, explaining the significance of history and the prestigious nature of the school they were enrolled in. Cardin glazed over Jaune with supercilious eyes, rolling at the words spewed from Ooblecks mouth. He closed with one final sentiment.**

[Oo] "History is important, gentlemen. If you can't learn it, you're destined to repeat it. Pages 51-91! I want an essay on my desk by next class! Now, run along."

 **In typical Oobleck fashion, he sped out of the doorway, making his destination unclear. There was still one final class of his today. Nyter called after him before he went too far, causing him to stop dead in his tracks with haunting precision.**

[N] "Look, Oobleck, I know Jaune's a good kid. He's struggling for his own reasons, I don't think it's fair to put him in the same boat as Cardin."

[Oo] "Mr. Nyter, I appreciate your sympathy, but disruptions during my class period are unacceptable! Please let Mr. Arc know that as soon as possible, as I would like to refrain from more unacceptable behavior in the future."

[N] "… Understood. One more thing—where are you going?"

[Oo] "To get a refill, of course! I'm running low."

 **Oobleck turned on his heel, sipping the last of his unknown liquid. Making his way through the halls with striking efficacy and speed, his frame disappeared through two sets of double doors.**

[N] I've gotta have what he's having.

[R] It's probably _poison_ , the man's gotta be dying!

[N] Oh well. Less grading for me.

[R] And you say _my_ humor's dark.

[N] Hey, I get it from you.

 **As Nyter left the classroom, Cardin and Jaune followed suit. Looking behind his shoulder, Nyter glanced Cardin raising his hands to shove Jaune, but noticed Nyter's gaze and backed off, moving down the hallway slowly. Pyrrha, who was waiting outside the classroom, grabbed Jaune's arm and squeezed firmly.**

[P] "You know, I really will break his legs."

[N] Attagirl.

 **An exasperated sigh escaped Jaune's lips, dipping his head. Pyrrha held her hand to the sky, pointing a finger excitedly.**

[P] "I have an idea! Here, come with me!"

 **She took Jaune's hand and led him across the academy hallways, sprinting in some unknown direction. Nyter decided to sleuth and follow the pair, allowing his curiosity to get the better of him. He was already ahead on grading, and was sure that Oobleck wouldn't necessarily need him at the moment. He crouched in a low stance and held the loose straps on his armor so as to not make any noise while quickly following Pyrrha and Jaune. They appeared to be heading up a few flights of stairs after entering an unmarked door. Nyter waited until they ascended a couple flights before opening the door and mocking their pace. There were several sets of stairs stacked together, similar to the staircase in lieu of an elevator. The walls and stairs were painted a dull gray, obviously hinted that this wasn't a common place for students to be ascending. He was impressed by his own silence while he kept the pace, as he has never practiced ascending stairs in his stealthing stance. A large door was heard opening and quickly closing at the top of the stairs, prompting Nyter to quicken his pace. As he reached the top, he took his ear to the door and listened deeply to their conversation, trying to understand the words being spoken outside. It was difficult to make out their discussion through the thick metal door, but he caught a few phrases and words and pieced together their general gist. Pyrrha wanted to help Jaune train, but he openly refused, stating he wished to get better on his own. He appeared to be raising his voice, which was quite unusual for the reserved Jaune. Their tone grew hushed, making it harder for Nyter to make out the words. Once again, his tone rose, giving away the secret he kept hidden. Jaune did not earn his place in Beacon, but had used false transcripts to enroll. Nyter rolled his eyes and took his ear away from the dear, a sigh escaping from his parched mouth.**

[N] Come on, Jaune… Really? You stooped that low?

[R] You're the one hardcore eavesdropping. They're discussing private matters, aren't they?

[N] I didn't think he had anything to hide. I was genuinely curious as to what Pyrrha had in store. But I guess I learned a little too much. I'm done eavesdropping.

 **Nyter began to descend the gray staircase but was stopped by Jaunes increasing tone of voice. He was practically yelling at this point, almost making every word clear through the impenetrable door. Deciding to instead wait for Pyrrha and Jaune to exit, he leaned against the wall on the staircase, resting his arms across his chest and closing his eyes. After a minute or so, he heard the door creak open. Looking to his left, he spotted a surprised Pyrrha, flustered and red in the cheeks. She closed the door and addressed the spy waiting on the staircase.**

[P] "How long…?"

 **Her voice appeared shaken, but still composed.**

[N] "The whole time. I followed you guys up here because I was equal parts suspicious and curious. It was wrong of me, and I apologize. I do have some words of wisdom, however. That is, if you'd like me to share"

 **Expecting a beratement, Nyter waited for confirmation to speak. Pyrrha was silent, looking down at the ground with her fingers interlocked in front of her skirt. Taking this as his permission, he spoke softly to her.**

[N] "I don't know what's gotten into Jaune, but don't take it to heart. The boy's probably very regretful of his choices and has produced an air of irritability. Aside from that, there are other factors that can aid to his mood, including the constant antagonization from Cardin. My point is, he's going through a rough time, and I don't want you to think that he's brushing his own teammate off because he's mad at you or anything. In fact, once his mood improves, I bet he'll come around to you eventually."

[P] "Nyter…"

[N] "Yeah?"

[P] "Why do you know so much about things? About people? From my understanding, you're younger than all of us, but you seem so mature and poised and… you just seem to know quite a bit about everything."

 **Nyter chuckled and walked up to Pyrrha, placing his hand on her shoulder. She was taller than him, but the sentiment still carried weight.**

[N] "I know a lot about dysfunctioning teammates from personal experience. Not with Team RWBY, of course, but I've seen my fair share of… less-than-favorable squadrons. As for the other stuff, it's just what I've picked up from the trade. I'm a wanderer, I guess. When you spend time across the entirety of the world, you pick up a lot of knowledge about a lot of things. In fact, I've never stayed in one place for more than two years at a time. I've always been moving, not of my own volition. Hopefully that won't be true with Beacon."

[P] "I see."

 **Lifting his hand from Pyrrha's shoulder, Nyter gestured for her to descend the staircase with him.**

[N] "Who knows how long he's gonna be moping up there. Come on, class is about to start soon. The esteemed Pyrrha Nikos can't be late."

 **Pyrrha looked up with a half-hearted smile, weakly springing from the tips of her crescent lips. She began to walk down the staircase with Nyter, accompanying him down the long descent.**

[R] Look at you!

[N] What?

[R] "I'm almost as awkward as you when it comes to cheering someone up."

 **Rodger's voice was deep and mocking, doing his best to impersonate Nyter's baritone voice.**

[N] Well, this was something I actually knew how to handle. But with Ruby, I can't really relate too well.

[R] Is that right?

[N] Yeah?

[R] Well then you're the perfect pair!

[N] Right.

[R] I'm serious! Don't blow me off, man!

[N] I'm blowing you off, man.

[R] Whoa, don't say it like that. That's weird.

[N] Why?

[R] Nevermind. Just listen to me. You're, what, sixteen? She's fifteen. There's no real problem with your ages. Who knows, maybe she's about to turn sixteen in a few months! Maybe _you_ just turned sixteen this month!

[N] What's your point?

[R] You've got a better shot with her than anyone else at Beacon. You're both really young, socially awkward, in love with various types of weaponry, and the best part is, your fighting styles are completely different!

[N] Elaborate.

[R] She kicks ass at killing the shit out of Grimm, while you kick ass at beating up people! You make the perfect team!

[N] Why are you _constantly_ trying to pair me with her? Every single day, you try to convince me that she's somehow some soulmate that I'm supposed to be with. It gets tiresome. If anything, you're making me turn _away_ from her with your constant meandering.

[R] Look, every man needs love. You say you've never experienced attraction, right? Well, I've found the perfect mate! And that's Ruby! Remember what I said earlier? It's my job to make you into a fully functioning human being, and that includes young romances that may or may not leave you utterly heartbroken!

[N] I think I'll pass on the romance. Thinking of intimate relations with a female churns my stomach.

[R] I refuse to let you win this one, Nyter. I _demand_ you speak to Ruby and at least try to make something happen.

[N] Demanding me, huh? Quite unusual for a passive one such as yourself.

[R] I just want you to be happy. What better way than falling in love?

[N] What are you talking about? I am happy.

[R] Are you?

[N] I mean… I guess so? I don't reall—

 **Nyter's thoughts were interrupted by Pyrrha, who lightly placed a hand on his shoulder and thanked him. Looking around, he was already at the bottom of the staircase.**

[N] "Huh? Oh, no problem. You've only got a few minutes left, so make sure you hurry."

[P] "Of course. Until we meet again."

 **Nyter made his way back to Oobleck's room in order to help with the rest of the classes. As he entered, he noticed that Oobleck's mug was sitting untouched in the center of his desk. He was not the only one who noticed. Looking around, all the other students in the classroom were staring at the mug, intent on figuring out what mystical fluid lies inside. Nyter cautiously approached the mug, frequently checking around to make sure Oobleck was nowhere in sight. He was being eyed by the students; his several lookouts painted the doors, ensuring that Oobleck wouldn't catch him snooping. He raised a finger to his lips. The students nodded, content with his request. Nyter stood a foot away from the ceramic mug, weighing his choices. He extended a hand towards the cup, feeling its surface. Speaking in a hushed tone, he noted his observations to the audience.**

[N] "It's… cold."

 **A few students gasped, while others nodded in what appeared to be a confirmation of their expectations. Nyter could see several students grabbing their wallets, ready to win their bets they placed with their friends as to what lied in the depths of Oobleck's white ceramic mug. Peering inside, he saw his reflection. It was crystal clear.**

[N] "It's clear… He isn't drinking straight _vodka_ , is he?!"

 **Preparing their lien, the students paired up with their betters, ready to accept the truth. Nyter wrapped his fingers around the circular handle of the mug, daring to take a sip. Out of the corner of his eye, Nyter spotted several students holding their hands out, contesting his decision to taste the liquid.**

[N] "It's all or nothing! We have to find out!"

 **Nyter pressed the marbled cup to his lips and tipped it upward. As the cold liquid reached his taste buds, he let out a gasp of surprise. After gulping the contaminated drink, he turned to the students with an expression of horror. A few students had their hands placed on their hypothetical winnings, eagerly accepting their prize money.**

[N] "It's… water!"

 **Utter silence. No one grabbed their winnings. Instead, all the lien were returned to their rightful owners. It appears not one student had ever dared to guess such a simple substance would occupy Oobleck's mug.**

[N] "Well, that solves that. Good work, students. Who would have thought he's just drinking water? What an anticlimactic ending."

* * *

 **As Nyter sat in his office, grading the multitude of papers on the floor, he realized how badly he needed a desk.**

[N] I didn't think it would be this difficult continually grading items on the floor, but man, my back hurts. I really need some back support. Even standing up for several hours is better than _this_.

[G] Why not just use one of the desks in the girls' room?

[N] There are only two, and they're usually both occupied by Blake or Weiss; I don't want to disturb their studies. Besides, the students aren't allowed to see what I'm grading, it's against the guidelines. That's why I've had to start locking that sliding door.

[R] Rules are dumb. What's stopping you from showing them anyway?

[N] My integrity.

[R] "Oh look at me, I'm Nyter, I have moral uprightness, I didn't murder people for six or seven years, hardy har har."

[N] Ouch.

 **Resigned to resolve his current problem, he stood up from the floor and stretched his legs. Twisting his back, he leaned to the side to stretch his spine and release a bit of tension. Finally content with his stretching, he decided to pay Ozpin a visit in order to arrange more comfortable accomodations. He unlocked his door and slid it open, closing it quickly and relocking. The girls appeared to be in bed, being 11:00 at night. Ruby was missing. Of the three girls present, Blake was the only one actually awake, sleepily reading a book as always. In a low tone, Nyter inquired about her reading habits.**

[N] "It seems like every time I look over at you in this room, you've got a book in your hands."

[B] "I like to read."

[N] "As I can see. I haven't met any bibliophiles aside from you. I suppose this is a sight I should see often."

[B] "Yep."

[N] "Not much for conversation?"

[B] "It's 11 o'clock."

 **With a strong exhale, Nyter expressed his amusement.**

[N] "It's about to get really loud in here in the next half hour. Just a heads up."

[B] "Why?"

[N] "I'm dragging a desk in here. Would you like to help?"

[B] "If you _really_ need me to, sure."

[N] "Great. Just gonna o-k it with Ozpin first."

 **Blake nodded her head absently, blinking her golden eyes. Nyter noticed a key feature that seemed strange to him.**

[N] "You wear that bow to bed?"

 **Her fierce eyes flickered to meet his. Nyter couldn't tell if it was hostility or confirmation.**

[B] "Yeah."

[N] "Can I ask why?"

 **Her eyes returned to the book, no longer holding his gaze.**

[B] "I just really like it."

[N] "Right."

 **Turning on his heel, Nyter began to walk towards the exit. The voice of Ruby on the other side stopped him. He placed his ear against the door, not worrying about being seen by Blake.**

[Ru] "Hmmm… Nope!"

[J] "Nope?"

[Ru] "Nope! You're a leader now, Jaune. You're not allowed to be a failure."

[J] "But what if I'm a failure at being a leader?"

[Ru] "Mmm… Nope."

[J] "Heh… You know, you're not the easiest person to talk to about this kind of stuff."

[Ru] "Nope! Jaune, maybe you were a failure when you were a kid—"

[N] What a great opener.

[Ru] "—and you might have even been a failure when we first met—"

[N] My god, Ruby.

[Ru] "—but, you can't be one now. You know why?"

[J] "Uhhhh, because—"

[Ru] "Because it's _not_ just about you anymore. You've got a team now, Jaune. We both do. And if we fail, then we'll just be bringing them down with us."

[N] Speak for yourself. If you fail, I'll have to pick up the slack.

[Ru] "We have to put our teammates first, and ourselves second. Your team deserves a great leader, Jaune. And I think that can be you. Have a good night, Jaune."

 **Nyter heard Ruby grabbing the door handle and twisting it. Backing away a few steps, he waited for her to enter. He stood with arms crossed and a foot tapping. As she walked in the room, she noted his stature with an awkward wave.**

[Ru] "Uh… Hi? What are you—"

 **Before Ruby's sentence could finish, Nyter embraced her in a generous hug. He pushed her away after a few seconds, expressing his sentiments by placing both his hands on her shoulders.**

[N] "Where did _that_ come from, Ruby?"

[Ru] "What do you mean?"

[N] "That uplifting speech about leadership. That's something I'd expect out of a leader who knows what they're doing—I mean, not saying you don't know what you're doing, but I figured you were rather inexperienced."

[Ru] "What, you were eavesdropping?"

[N] "It's a habit, okay? I'm a curious person. Either way, I'm proud to be serving under such a competent leader. I have no doubts you're gonna be a famous huntress, along with the rest of your wonderful team."

[Ru] "And what about you?"

[N] "Well, therein lies my dilemma."

 **Nyter sat down, patting the floor next to him to invite Ruby to his discussion. She followed suit, plopping down on the floor, wearing her white rose pajamas.**

[N] "You see, I love being a part of this team, but… I don't know if I can handle being noticed. I've always hated attention. That's why I exhale a grievous sigh each time I hear one of the professors go, 'Look, it's the prestigious Nyter! I've heard a lot about you!' I hate it. And I know that if I become well-known on an even larger scale, I'm going to be hearing that a lot. I like sticking to the shadows, where no one knows my name, who I am, or where I came from. Because not even I know those details. Well, except for my name."

[Ru] "You mean your actual name, or Nyter?"

[N] "My actual name. It's Julius. I finally remembered it."

[Ru] "Julius…?"

[N] Oh shit… She's probably remembering who I am now.

[G] You don't want her remembering?

[N] Well, she might ask about her mother or something.

[G] And are you going to deny her that information?

[N] … No. It'll just be difficult for me.

[N] "Yeah, Julius. Not sure about my last name, though."

 **Ruby appeared to be holding her hand to her head in deep thought, repeating the name "Julius" softly to herself.**

[N] "Are you alright?"

[Ru] "Yeah, I could have sworn I knew someone by that name as a kid. Like an old friend of mine."

[N] "Well, I'm sure it'll come to you eventually. Either way, my point still stands. I'm gonna go grab a desk for my room. Also, please don't tell anyone my name. I shared it with you only because you're part of my team. That goes for you too, Blake."

[B] "Mhmm."

[N] "Now—" **Nyter stood from his position and dusted off the back of his pants.** "—are you ready to fetch that desk? Might as well accompany me to Ozpin's office, best not to waste any time coming back here to get you; I already know he's going to say yes." **Looking over at Blake, she had already put down her book and began stretching.**

[B] "Let's get it over with."

[N] "Right. Ruby, you going to bed?"

 **Ruby let loose a large, overpowering yawn, starting a chain, causing both Nyter and Blake to follow suit.**

[N] "I guess there's our answer. Let's hurry up, I'm already getting tired just looking at her. See you, Ruby."

[Ru] "Niiiight…"

[N] "Geez, you're making me even more tired by listening to you. Make sure you get a lot of rest. There's an exam in Port's tomorrow, if I remember correctly."

 **With a wave, Nyter opened the door, traveling into the hallway with Blake.**

[N] "I hope you're quite awake. The desks here are no joke. It's gonna take some heaving."

[B] "I'll be fine. You're going to Ozpin's office first, right? Is he even there at this hour?"

[N] "Yeah, I've gone up there a few times even at midnight. I don't know why he stays up there. Who knows how much sleep the man gets."

 **Nyter began walking briskly to Ozpin's office with Blake keeping pace at his right. He followed the corridor, taking a left towards another hallway. Further ahead was an opening where the lobby and elevator were stationed about twenty feet ahead of the pair. Out of the corner of his eye, Nyter noticed something that sent him on edge. At the end of the hallway where the lobby begins, he spotted movement coming from the corner where the hallway ends. It appeared to be the head of someone blonde, peeking from the side of the wall. Multiple hairs on the back of Nyter's neck began to stand up, while his entire body shuddered with goosebumps. He stopped in his tracks, firmly grabbing Blake by the arm, startling her and causing her to recoil.**

[B] "Hey! What are you—!"

 **Without explaining himself, Nyter held a finger to his lips, hushing Blake. Letting go of her arm, Nyter used sign language, asking if she knew how to sign as well. The confused look on her face was enough of an answer. Pulling out his scroll, Nyter typed a message on screen and showed it to Blake. The message read:** _ **Did you see or hear someone down the hallway, around the corner to the left?**_ **Blake raised an eyebrow and slowly shook her head.**

[N] You guys saw that, right? I'm not going crazy? I saw someone blonde waiting just around that corner, as if to ambush us.

[G] I saw it too.

[R] Once again, I wasn't paying attention.

[N] If it's who I think it is, my mind could easily just be playing tricks on me, but would it do the same for you too, Galer?

[G] My perception is limited to yours. If you were hallucinating, I would experience the same illusions through your sight as well.

[N] I see. Better safe than sorry, though.

 **Quickly tapping another message on his scroll, Nyter issued a command to Blake:** _ **Stay three feet behind me, I'm going to check the corner. I think I saw someone.**_ **Blake nodded with a confused expression. Nyter projected Galer's handgun, holding it in his left hand, covered with his right. It was a standard issue police service pistol, but it had enough stopping power to take down a foe. Slowly making his way to the end of the hallway with Blake following obediently behind, he stopped just inches before his feet stepped into the lobby. Nyter placed his back against the left wall, readying the pistol by his chest. Breathing a heavy but quiet sigh, he quickly turned the corner and aimed his weapon. There was no one in the lobby. Breathing a sigh of relief, he dissolved the weapon and looked back at Blake, explaining himself.**

[N] "Sorry about that. I thought I saw… someone on the other side of this corner."

[B] "Even if someone was there, why would you panic like that?"

[N] "Well, to make a very, very long story short, I'm just a bit paranoid."

[B] "If you say so. Let's keep going."

 **With a nod, Nyter walked up to the elevators and pressed the call button. It appeared someone was already using the elevator. During the wait, Nyter consulted Galer about the occurrence, while Blake leaned against the wall and closed her eyes, arms crossed.**

[N] You think he'd be bold enough to come here if he knew this is where I was?

[G] I don't know. From what you've told me, he seems more calculated than that. It's not about being bold, it's about nabbing you at the easiest convenience. 11:00 at a building full of hunters who could be allied with you isn't exactly the most convenient location or time.

[N] I guess you're right.

 **A high-pitched ding coming from the elevator signified its readiness. The doors opened, revealing Ozpin.**

[O] "Oh, what a coincidence. Were you coming up to see me?"

[N] "Uh, yeah. That's weird. Anyway, I wanted to ask if you could help me find a desk for my office. Grading on the floor is a pain in the ass. And my back."

 **With a soft chuckle, Ozpin responded to Nyter's request.**

[O] "Yes, that should be no problem. Would you like a large desk or a smaller desk?"

[N] "Just something I can fit in the office and work from, nothing fancy."

[O] "I see. I assume you've brought your teammate here for help in carrying?"

 **Blake nodded blankly.**

[O] "Strange. I would have thought you'd bring along Ruby. I'll show you where you can pick up an old desk we couldn't put in any of the classrooms."

[N] "Why would I bring Ruby?"

[O] "Oh, no reason."

 **Ozpin began walking towards another corridor, lax as usual, cane in his right hand. Nyter followed with a raised eyebrow, Blake walking to his right again. Their destination was unclear.**

[O] "How are your sleeping accommodations? Have you been sleeping on the floor?"

[N] "Yes and no. Some nights I sleep on the floor, but recently I've been sleeping in Ruby's bed. Her request, not mine."

[O] "Ah, I'm glad one of your teammates offered a reasonable solution to our lack of beds in that room; Ruby, at that."

[N] "What's up with that?"

[O] "Hm? Oh, it appears we're here. Through this door is an old desk we assigned for one of our past professors who retired a few years ago. Please be careful with it."

[N] "What, do you think I'm gonna break it?"

[O] "Of course not, just letting you know."

 **Ozpin took a small ring of keys from his pocket and fitted an antique-looking key into the lock. He turned twice counterclockwise and twisted the knob, opening the door. Inside was a small space, dusty and smelling of an old broom closet, which it now probably served as. A wooden desk, sizable enough, was placed in the middle of the room, along with a bookshelf aligned across the left wall, littered with office supplies and academic textbooks. The desk had two shelves on its right side, while the left side remained open to allow a chair and footspace. Nyter noticed that the small bulb in the room had already been turned on before Ozpin even opened the door.**

[O] "There it is. Will you and Blake be able to carry it to your room?"

[N] "Well, let's see. Blake, take the left side, I'll pick up the right."

 **Quietly moving past the pair to the left side, Blake placed her hands underneath the lip of the desk. Nyter grabbed the right side and gave a signal to lift. It was heavy for sure, whitening his knuckles, but with Blake's help, he was able enough to carry it back to the room.**

[N] "You doing good, Blake?"

[B] "It's a bit heavy, but I'll manage."

[N] "You sure? You're not gonna drop it on me, are you?"

[B] "I will if you keep standing here."

[N] "Good point. Turn it parallel to the doorway so we can get it out. Let's go clockwise 90 degrees, I'll back it into the frame."

 **With a nod, Blake began walking clockwise, Nyter doing the same, until the edge of the desk was aligned with the door frame. Nyter walked backward, pulling the desk out of the doorway. As soon as the desk was in the hallway, Ozpin quickly entered the room and turned off the bulb. He closed the door and locked it, turning the key clockwise twice. This time, Nyter noticed he didn't hear any clicking to signify the door even being locked. Nor did he hear it the first time. Focusing on the task at hand, he continued to move down the hallway with Blake, carrying the desk to the dorm room with Ozpin supervising to make sure they didn't drop the desk. When they made it into the lobby, Ozpin addressed them farewell.**

[O] "It seems as though you can handle it, so I'm going to trust you'll make it. Goodnight, Nyter and Ms. Belladonna."

 **Both Nyter and Blake reciprocated and returned to moving the desk toward their room. Nyter glanced back, watching Ozpin go back into the elevator.**

[N] "He… went back in the elevator…?"

[R] That's creepy.

[G] So that means…

[B] "Did he know you'd be down here?"

[N] "I mean, I didn't tell him beforehand. Maybe he came down to see how I was doing? But at 11:00 at night? Highly improbable…"

[B] "That's pretty creepy…"

[R] Hey, that's what I said!

[G] I think I'm getting a handle on what Ozpin's semblance is.

[N] Really? Do tell.

[G] I don't have all the details yet, so I can't provide a concrete answer. I'm going to need more evidence before I make my case.

[N] Well, report back when you have sufficient "evidence."

[G] Will do.

[R] Man, tonight has been too spooky. I don't like night time. Can't see a damn thing, noises everywhere, weird people start doing freaky stuff, demons start walking the planet…

[N] _Actual_ demons or _my_ definition of demons?

[R] Is there a difference?

[N] In regards to technical definitions, yes.

[R] I'm talkin' about the _bad_ ones. Ones that cast spells and curses and stuff. We can't see 'em… but they're there! Out in the dark…

[N] You're even more paranoid than I am.

 **As Blake and Nyter arrived at their destination, they set the desk down slowly, as to not wake the other students.**

[B] "How are we going to get this in the room without waking anyone else?"

[N] "Check inside to see if anyone is already awake."

 **Blake opened the door cautiously, peeking inside. The lamp was still on, showing all the girls sleeping soundly in their beds.**

[B] "They're all fast asleep."

[N] "I'm sure we can manage carrying it inside without much of a hassle. We'll worry about putting it in my office in the morning."

[B] "We need something to hold the door open."

[N] "How heavy is the door? Can we use a chair?"

[B] "I'll see if a chair will do it."

 **Opening the door once again, Blake slipped inside with cat-like quietness and grabbed a chair from one of the desks while holding the door open with her left hand. She placed the chair in front of the door, stopping it from closing. Speaking in a hushed tone, Nyter addressed the new problem.**

[N] "Alright, now the problem is getting the chair out of the way while fitting the desk through the doorway. I'll try handling that, let me back into the doorway like last time."

 **Blake nodded, allowing Nyter to grab the desk nearest to the door. They hoisted upwards, carrying the heavy desk into the doorway. Nyter stopped as his left side made contact with the chair, stopping him from backing up any further. He slowly scooted the chair backward with his foot, using the other to keep the door from moving. He then motioned for Blake to keep moving in, holding the desk parallel to his side. The desk was now fully inside of the door. Blake turned the desk 90 degrees, allowing Nyter to let go of the door and place the desk on the ground. He wiped his forehead and gave a thumbs up to Blake, who reciprocated. She made her way around the desk and crawled into her bed, not bothering to adopt her book.**

[N] She's all tuckered out, as am I. Looks like I'm sleeping on the floor tonight.

[R] Aw, no bedtime with Ruby for poor Nyter.

[N] Perhaps _you're_ the one who likes it, you pervert. You just like to watch, don't you? Is that why you're constantly incentivising a relationship between us?

[R] You've got me all figured out, don't you?

 **With a small chuckle, Nyter made his way to his office and unlocked the door. Stepping inside, he saw all the papers strewn across the floor, along with his duffle bag, clothes, and the ID printer.**

[N] Man, it's a mess in here.

[R] Disorganization is a symbol for creativity.

[G] I agree with him for once. I was more cluttered than you could ever imagine, but I did fine and I knew where everything was. In fact, I prefer a messy desk over a clean one any day. With a clean one, I wouldn't be constantly reminded of all the different work I have to do, so there's no room for forgetfulness.

[N] Still, I could at least stack the papers and pick up some of my clothes. I'll wait till morning.

 **Nyter heard his name being called softly, prompting him to swivel around. There didn't seem to be a culprit.**

[R] Oh _hell_ no. Now you're hearing your name being called and there's no one doing it? That's _classic_ horror movie shit, mate! I'm shook.

[N] Hush, you're clouding my thoughts.

 **Listening carefully, he heard his name once again. Nyter traveled to the right side of Ruby's bed, looking up on his tiptoes. She appeared to be twitching in her sleep, saying his name with a jumble of other unintelligible words.**

[N] She's dreaming of me again. I wonder what it is this time.

 **With a yawn, Nyter walked back to his office and shut the door, locking it. Surrounded by darkness, he felt his way to the center of the small room and lied down, ignoring the draft chilling him on the floor. It was difficult for him to fall asleep tonight after all the inconsistencies, but he managed.**


End file.
